Didn't Mozart hear the young Beethoven and say something about a
bright future ahead of him?

I absolutely agree on Berlioz, and it is another one that changed the history of the symphony.

1. Bruckner 8th

2. Bruckner 9th

3. Beethoven 3rd

4. Mahler 9th

5. Tchaikovsky 6th

6. Brahms 4th

7. Shostakovich 7th

8. Shostakovich 8th

9. Schumann 4th

10. Schubert 8th

Bruckner's 3rd, 5th, and 6th are also quite dear to me. The rest of Beethoven's and Brahms' symphonies are also clear contenders really. If Mahler had completed his 10th, some reordering would have been necessary (though that first movement counts for more than many complete works by others).

1. Beethoven 5

2. Beethoven 3

3. Mozart 41

4. Beethoven 9

5. Mozart 40

6. Brahms 4

7. Haydn 104

8. Prokofief 5

9. Mahler 6

10. Bruckner 7

Confess to much hesitation for almost all of these! Easier would be a top 50 unordered. And I'm very fond of all 4 Schumann symphonies, wonderful music in each one. Vaughn Williams, Sibelius, Dvorak. Mozart 39, more Haydn, more Bruckner, more Mahler, more Brahms.

@William said:

Didn't Mozart hear the young Beethoven and say something about a bright future ahead of him?

Mozart said everything about Beethoven's future in a single brilliant sentance: He will make a big noise.

He encapsulates the composers future:

1. Beethoven's music was criticized at first as being noisy.
2. Beethoven's rise to popularity a big noise media occurance (the heart of Mozart's response)
3. Beethoven's largeness undiminished throughout time and still casting the biggest shadow.

To my dear untrained ears, the order is...

1. Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C Minor (ok, maybe it's not for full orchestra and was originally a quartet, but it has the word "symphony" in the title!

2. Tchaikovsky's - 4th

3. Saint-Saens - 3rd

4. Beethoven's - 7th

5. Shostakovich's - 11th

6. Shostakovich's - 7th

7. Tchaikovsky's - 2nd

8. Dvorak's - 9th

9. Sibelius' - 4th

10. Dvorak's - 7th

Horse Opera - I doubt your ears are untrained if you've heard those pieces!

Dvorak 7th - yes, that can't be left off the list which has grown. I like hearing these ideas because it makes me go back to the works (if I haven't recently) and it is interesting how there is somewhat of a consensus, which I wasn't sure was possible. Also these ideas are divorced from the standard academic concepts which are always limited by musicological/historical biases. For exampled, a professor would rarely rank Saint Saens on the same list with Beethoven, and that professor would be dead wrong.

I confess that I did consider the Mozart 41 also though it would have contradicted my pontification.

Gugliel's list is quite good I think and bless Jc5 for getting Schumann in there. I think a list of the top twenty composers would be nice. Britten and Copeland would perhaps get their due. Copeland's 3rd is a must listen in the repetoire. Also nice seeing Borodin in there.

All is forgiven on the Mozart 41. Mozart's 250th birthday is Jan 27 2006. I know because it will be my 50th (being a few hours from being born 200 years to the day from the fellow: the only thing I share with the great genius no doubt.)

Dave, with my thoroughly british sense of humour, there so much i could say here!

Suffice to say, what's a few hours between geniuses? (Could that be Genies?)

Regards,

Alex!
[H]