The best symphonies of the past 50 years?

[Alan Howe]

Taking as our starting-point the year 1960, which are the best symphonies of the past fifty years? I would like more than simply a list of personal favourites, please! In other words, which symphonies would you hold up as worthy of being measured against the masterpieces of the past, whether sung or unsung? (Perhaps three symphonies per person plus reasons for nominating them.)

[alberto]

About the reasons, I apologize for my English:
1) Sciostakovich n.15
Great, even if not supreme, achievemente by an undisputed master in serious illness, always in touch with audience
2) Rautavaara n.3 (but I could have listed almost as well n.6, 7 or
Great capability, after more "modern" experiences, to rework past languages in an idiom aiming to audiences
3) Tippett n.3
Grat freedom and indipendence of idiom , very strong personality, asking much, but not the impossible, to the listener).
(Other contenders: Sallinen, Weinberg, Bernstein, Arnold, Simpson, Schnittke).

[erato]

I do tend to agree about the Shostakovich 15. This enigmatic, scary and ultimately confusing work written in difficult circumstances is the last words of a true master

Petterson 7; a conflictridden and ultimately supremely comforting score written by a master of sustaining unity out of simple motifs.

Nørgård 7; a true successor to the Impressionists, a colourful score of amazing compexity, a true successor to Ravels Daphnis and Chloe.

Many worthy names mentioned by Alberto, I love Sallinen, and would have liked to include Dutilleux, but three it is.

[Dundonnell]

Tearing apart the concept of "best symphony" from "favourite symphony" is rather difficult One tends to conflate the two propositions and assume that one's favourite symphonies are, ipso facto, favourites because they are superior to others

I would have included Havergal Brian's 16th but as it was composed in 1960, it just misses out. I have a lot of sympathy for those already mentioned and I suppose that in the circumstances I too should nominate the Shostakovich 15th for the same reasons as those given by alberto and erato.

So my other two will be

1. Robert Simpson's 9th: an absolutely masterly composition of epic scale, profound, majestic, a worthy 20th century companion to the great symphonies of Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Bruckner.

2. Vadim Silvestrov's 5th: an affirmation that a composer can in the late 20th century turn away from overly intellectual, arid, ugly music apparently written for the few to music which can touch the heart and soul of his listeners.

[eschiss1]

Even though several of my favorites were composed since 1960 I agree also of course, deciding which could possibly deserve repertory status, could possibly prove a life-changing experience for more than an outlying handful of musiclovers, etc. - is a difficulty! (And much as I love certain composers' symphonies their best music may be somewhere else in their output anyway; Holmboe's 9th packs quite the punch but his Requiem for Nietzsche may probably be his very most lasting work, for instance.)
Mieczyslaw Weinberg's 6th symphony, however, might have a chance and not a half-bad one at that.

[markniew]

And what about Symphony no. 3 by Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki?
I know that its minimalistic simplicity may irritiate many listeners but it apeals to quite big number of others who are great fans of that music. Anyhow for 1976 it was something extraordinary. I can remember my feelings - enthusiastic and I still like it!

[Alan Howe]

Interesting: are these really comparable with the great works of the fifty years prior to 1960 - or are we witnessing the eclipse of the symphony as a public statement in our ever more privatised and atomistic world?

[Jimfin]

Only 3? I would perhaps say Britten's Cello Symphony (which just scrapes in, date-wise), Brian's 31st and Rubbra's Sinfonia Sacra.

But I'm glad someone else mentioned the Tippett 3rd and Simpson 9th, as they would be fighting with the above for a place too.

[Dundonnell]

Yes...the Gorecki would certainly have to compete with the Silvestrov in my opinion, although its claims on the title of "symphony" might be disputed.

I have never taken to Britten's Cello Symphony at all....and I positively detest Tippett's 3rd   The Rubbra Sinfonia Sacra was one I really considered very carefully for inclusion though

Well, I happen to think that the Simpson 9th is one of the greatest symphonies of any or all time

As for "the eclipse of the symphony"........not as long as really fine composers like John McCabe and David Matthews in Britain, Kalevi Aho in Finland and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich in the USA are still writing symphonies After them however....I am not so sure

[Alan Howe]

It's not exactly a long roll-call, though, is it?
However, I'm waiting agog for further suggestions...

[Dundonnell]

Just for the record ......

The fact that alberto and Jimfin regard Tippett's 3rd as one of the greatest symphonies of the past 60 years and I loathe the work is my problem not a comment on their taste.

[BFerrell]

Kokkonen 4th, Rubbra 8th, Shostakovich 13th

[Alan Howe]

Kokkonen 4th, Rubbra 8th, Shostakovich 13th

Reasons, please?

[BFerrell]

My reasons may be too subjective. Each symphony hits me right in the gut in different ways. Rubbra, spiritually. Kokkonen, the natural world. Shostakovich, humanity as it really is. If I was to completely objective, I would have to think  harder!

[Alan Howe]

So, a top 10 might include (in no particular order):
Silvestrov 5
Rautavaara 3
Norgard 7
Lutoslawski 3 or 4
Gorecki 3
Maxwell Davies ?
Corigliano
Kokkonen 4
Tippett 3 or 4
Simpson 9
Rubbra 8
Pettersson 7
Dutilleux ?
Sallinen ?
Weinberg ?

So - who/what have we left out?