What is the most important symphony ever to be written?
Asked by
Rarebear (
25192
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March 29th, 2017
The answer, of course, is Beethoven’s Symphony #3 (and was his favorite). Great article on the SF symphony website with different versions of the opening chords.
Alternate arguments accepted. But only if they support Beethoven’s Symphony #3 :-)
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16 Answers
Maybe not the most important but I remember hearing many years ago was The Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 38 by Robert Schumann.
I am an avid fan of Beethoven, but I feel the most important symphony is the one which most dramatically moves the listener.
Beethoven certainly changed the concept of “symphony” forever. His 9th was important as well as re-defining just what a symphony could be (that it could be an epic choral work for one movement).
@Patty_Melt I’m talking about important from a music theory point of view. Before Eroica, symphonies were shorter, with far fewer brass instruments, and mostly pleasant (think Mozart Symphony #40). Eroica is huge with a much larger sound and was much longer. It redefined the word “symphony”.
@DominicY Yes, Symphony #9 was almost as important.
Another very important symphony was Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique. This may have been the first symphony in “cyclic form” whereby a single melody or theme occurs in all the movements as a unifying device. Before that, movements tended to be more separate without recurring thematic material between them. (Other examples of cyclic form symphonies are Tchaikovsky’s 5th and Saint-Saens’ “Organ Symphony”). Fantastique was also the first “programmatic” symphony where the movements of the symphony were meant to tell a specific story that the composer had in mind.
@DominicY That one I’m not familiar with. Thanks! I’ll put it on now.
I played in a regional orchestra as a teenager. We learned Beethoven No. 1 and 2 my first year. I still clearly the first rehearsal of the second season when we started on No. 3. Whole different world. We thought we were a really big deal when we performed it around the state.
Played. Bassoon. It’s been over thirty years since I’ve touched one. I do occasionally dream about playing though.
Important? It’s just a piece of music, no different to contemporary stuff with entertainment value only.
He just mad that there are no famous English composers.
Just like colonials pretend that they do not care when their national Football team gets destroyed by third world countries.
Moooooooooooo!!
The unmistakable call of the offended sacred cow :D
@ragingloli actually Elgar is one of my favorites. I just wouldn’t call him revolutionary. Not like the German composers.
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