By Laurie Niles: Which is your favorite Beethoven Symphony? This question is a little like "Which is your favorite child?" What, pick one?
I love them all, and for different reasons. There is of course the moment that everyone knows from Beethoven's 9th Symphony: when the chorus jubilantly bursts into the famous "Ode to Joy." This music has been used on so many symbolic occasions, and very recently, here is one more: Marin Alsop put together a #GlobalOdeToJoy that involved the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, as well as more than 1,000 voices from 58 countries that virtually formed the "Stay at Home Choir." How Peak 2020 is this?
Is the Ninth Symphony my favorite Beethoven symphony? I can't say. What about the second movement from the 7th? What about the entire 5th Symphony? The Pastorale (6th symphony - I always think of Fantasia!)? The First Symphony? The Eroica (#3)? And all the others - every time I play one of these symphonies, listen to a wonderful recording, see a beautiful performance -- it becomes my favorite for a period of time. So I'm not telling you how I'm voting - it could change next week!
What is your current favorite, when it comes to the symphonies of Beethoven? Please participate in the vote and then tell us about your favorite, and/or about your memorable experiences with Beethoven's symphonies.
![Beethoven]()
You might also like:
