10 Symphonies you need to know

The symphony is, perhaps, the most important form of musical creation. Here I list 10, but I emphasize that it was nearly impossible to arrive at this selection.

Created during the Classical Period (18th century), the symphony is a form. That is, it is a kind of mold into which the composer inserts their ideas. Not infrequently, symphonies become the most important pieces of their composers. They are also key works in the repertoire of symphony orchestras.

Below, take 10 of them to explore. If you don’t know much about classical music, I suggest you pick one and listen to it extensively. In the future, I will write more about each of them.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) - Symphony No. 29

The first on the list is also the oldest (on the list), from 1774. It created a paradigm for future symphonies and is one of the greatest landmarks in the evolution and maturity of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

It is a sweet and serene piece. Classical (classicism was just one of the periods, of about 50 years, in the history of classical music, which we insist on calling all "classical music." However, it is not wrong to say "classical music", because nothing is more annoying than someone constantly correcting you: it’s "art music", "concert music", blah blah blah...).

Classicism has the characteristic of being elegant, somewhat like "relaxing music" (ugh!), yet a bit impersonal. This is where Mozart stands out from his contemporaries, and the reason he is still adored today: his music is far from cold. On the contrary, it demonstrates a passionate and creative personality, like that of a child. Incidentally, the image of Mozart as a childish figure, as depicted in the film Amadeus (Miloš Forman, 1984), is not so far from reality as is often claimed.

This is one of my favorite symphonies of his. Because it’s unpretentious, bright, and subtle.

Recommended Recording: Orchestra Mozart - Conductor: Claudio Abbado.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) - Symphony No. 5

Do you know when you try to avoid the obvious, but you just can’t? This symphony has to be on any list of the most important. Since there are only 10 on the list, I decided to include just one by Ludwig van Beethoven, but the fact is that the 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 9th could easily be here.

In the 5th, we have a definite turn toward Romanticism (19th century), both for humanity and for Beethoven: he led the group of composers responsible for creating the Romantic language. Already with the third, the Eroica, he brought a passion, fervor, almost a rage, that still captivates everyone. People even said his music was immoral (have you ever noticed how every generation has its "immoral music"?).

The 5th, from 1808, is a mighty work. The first movement is entirely based on a motif, the famous tan tan tan taaaan. With these four notes begins an incredible manifestation that, though not verbalizing (I don’t like symphonies with voice), speaks of redemption, doubts, and ultimately, a great journey.

Recommended Recording: Vienna Philharmonic (Wiener Philharmoniker) - Conductor: Carlos Kleiber. This may not be the best recording, but is one of the most thrilling.

Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869) - Symphonie Fantastique

Here, Romanticism was already in full bloom. One could even argue that the Symphonie Fantastique, from 1830, is the concluding statement of its first paragraph. On second thought, it begins the second paragraph: the youth and fullness of Romantic music.

It is a programmatic work, meaning it follows a sort of script, which Hector Berlioz describes in the concert program and in the names of the movements. There are five, ranging from the tender A Ball to the tormented Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath. The protagonist is in love, but being unrequited, decides to kill himself with a dose of opium. This dose does not kill him, but instead carries him into a sleep filled with premonitions of death, witches (he even dreams that he killed his beloved and was condemned to death) etc.

Tragic? Romantic.

Berlioz, a master of orchestration (the skill of effectively writing for orchestra, understanding the language and nuances of each instrument and their combinations), even wrote a treatise on the subject. This symphony is tremendously well-written, as well as inspired and revolutionary.

Recommended Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra - Conductor: Seiji Ozawa.

Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856) - Symphony No. 2

It’s impossible to talk about music, especially from the 19th century, without mentioning Robert Schumann. An exceptional composer, he was the archetype of the Romantic man: passionate, depressive, sick, bordering on madness… Schumann heard the note "A" in his head so vividly that it prevented him from composing this very symphony.

About it, simply put, it’s wonderful. The third movement (19m40s) is heartbreakingly beautiful. The symphony has a somewhat unusual form for the time, especially given that all movements are in the same key (it was customary for the middle movements to be in different keys from the outer movements).

Written in 1847, this is not the most popular of Schumann's four symphonies, but I include it here without hesitation because, if music is meant to take us to ecstasy, this one does an excellent job.

Like Beethoven’s 5th, it deals with the struggle between failure and triumph. In the end, it seems that good prevails, but there’s still a hint of doubt (which is fantastic).

Recommended Recording: Berlin Philharmonic (Berliner Philharmoniker) - Conductor: Rafael Kubelik.

César Franck (1822 - 1890) - Symphony in D Minor

The Belgian César Franck composed a single symphony in 1888, and it is one of the most important in history. Technically, after this, composers had to reinvent themselves (I hate that expression, but can’t think of a better one).

Franck employed a device called "cyclical thematic style", meaning that the themes (the main melodies of the symphony) are intertwined. The movements, instead of each having their own independence, are connected by ideas. To be fair, this had already occurred, for example, in the Symphonie Fantastique and even in Schumann's 2nd Symphony. But here, it is considered the pinnacle of the cyclical form, of which Franck was a master.

But beyond that, it is an existential symphony, somewhat heavy, bittersweet. It’s simply brilliant, even if you listen without caring about the form. The melodies and orchestration will captivate you and even leave you in awe.

Recommended recording - Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Conductor: Pierre Monteux

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin - Conductor: Lorin Maazel

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) - Symphony No. 1

Johannes Brahms composed four symphonies. Choosing one to feature here is like picking a favorite child, but the first holds more significance. You see, Brahms, born in 1833, was considered the successor to Beethoven, who had passed away in 1827. In addition to his sonatas, Beethoven's symphonies are among his most important works. I don’t know if it’s possible to fully grasp their importance; they are a heritage of humanity.

And what do we expect from Beethoven’s successor? Miraculous symphonies! Imagine the pressure! So what did Brahms do? He delayed. He delivered a colossal piano concerto (Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1), two beautiful orchestral serenades (which were like experiments, testing the waters without the weight of being symphonies...). He worked on drafts for 14 years.

And in 1876, the 1st Symphony was born. It wasn't just a symphony. It was a punch.

He made it so perfect that it immediately earned the nickname "Beethoven’s 10th". End of story.

Recommended recording - Berlin Philharmonic (Berliner Philharmoniker) - Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.

Antonin Dvořák (1841 - 1904) - Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"

Several composers died after their ninth symphony: Beethoven, Dvořák, Vaughan Williams, Schubert, Bruckner. There’s even an article in Wikipedia about "The Curse of the Ninth".

Austrian composer Gustav Mahler was afraid of dying after his 9th, so he wrote a symphony without numbering it after his eighth: The Song of the Earth. Then he wrote a new symphony, but he couldn’t call it the 10th, so he did this: he called it the 9th and immediately started working on the 10th. Did it work? No! He died while working on the sketches for the 10th.

Antonin Dvořák was a friend of Brahms, and his talent was undeniable. He composed melodies that were easy to follow and would stick in your head (which some might frown upon, but in his case, it garnered sympathy) and, at the same time, he had solid orchestration technique and handled form well (remember, the symphony is, above all, a framework, a musical skeleton, in which the composer must work within several formal constraints).

His Symphony No. 9, nicknamed "From the New World" (specifically "originating from the New World", not "belonging to the New World"), was written during the time he spent in the U.S. and premiered in 1893. Much has been said about how the symphony features elements of American music, and how much of that is nonsense.

Until the 1950s, it was known as the 5th Symphony, since the first four were disregarded.

But it is a late-Romantic work (one of my favorite pieces of music) which, nevertheless, points to the future. It’s sophisticated and lively! Strictly speaking, Dvořák’s 7th and 8th symphonies are structurally more mature: it’s as if he wrote the ninth to please the public. And he succeeded.

Recommended recording - London Symphony Orchestra - Conductor: Eugene Ormandy.

Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 2

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius wrote seven monumental symphonies. Not necessarily in terms of length, but they are important and widely beloved.

And with good reason. Written in 1902, this work has been described as sublime, meditative, and triumphant. Sibelius said the symphony was a "confession of the soul". It is uniquely beautiful.

Recommended recording - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Concertgebouworkest) - Conductor: Mariss Jansons.

Sergei Rachmaninoff - Symphony No. 2

Some might ask, "but Rachmaninoff?" It’s true that he only wrote three symphonies, which are considered masterpieces, though not the masterpieces. That’s probably because he’s more famous for his piano concertos and piano works. He’s not known as "the great symphonist Sergei Rachmaninoff". But I included this piece because, aside from being one of my favorites, it’s one of the easiest to enjoy, especially the 1st and 3rd (29m30s) movements. My favorite moment is the absurd tension created from 35m51s. Listen to the brass, in contrast with the strings.

Sure, some may say it’s overly romantic (Rachmaninoff was an anachronistic romantic, as modernism had already begun), but hold on. It’s not in bad taste. It’s very beautiful. The 20th century (1907) had just begun, and he gave us this bold, brilliant piece.

Recommended recording - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Conductor: Andrew Litton

Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5

Dmitri Shostakovich is the most enigmatic composer in history. He didn’t leave Russia after the revolution (as Rachmaninoff did). Instead, he lived a love-hate relationship with the regime. Sometimes he was denounced, which meant that a work of art was considered inappropriate for the Soviet public, and the artist would get into trouble, have to justify themselves, and face threats...

That’s what happened with the 4th Symphony. So, what did he do next? He did something with multiple layers of meaning. In 1937, he published his 5th Symphony, with the subtitle "A Soviet artist's response to just criticism". Wow, how subservient!

But the music carries messages. He simulates gunshots and explosions with the percussion. He simulates ice, and in that ice, a single voice rises (an oboe in the 3rd movement). He simulates Orthodox church choirs. The Kremlin thought, "I like it; it’s talking about the suffering of our people during the years of oppression". The audience thought, "It’s talking about our suffering during the years of oppression". Notice that I wrote "years of oppression" twice (technically, three times). It’s simple. The years the regime considered oppressive were the years before the revolution. But the public knew that Shostakovich was referring to the oppression of the regime itself.

During the premiere, it’s said that many people cried. At the end of the performance, Shostakovich received a standing ovation for over half an hour!

Recommended recording - Berlin Philharmonic (Berliner Philharmoniker) - Conductor: Semyon Bychkov.

This list, I recognize, is controversial. Because it excludes four composers who are among the greatest symphonists of all time. I confess I still need to learn to appreciate Haydn, Schubert (although I love his 5th and 8th), Bruckner, and Mahler (I actually enjoy several of his symphonies, but they aren't among the ten I'd take to a desert island). These omissions prove, in any case, that this is a personal list. These are pieces I've loved since childhood or adolescence, which have shaped my personality. And when you recommend something to someone, it must be something for which you have, above all, affection.

I will still make 2 more lists of essential symphonies, and maybe your favorite will be on one of those.

Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to coment below - there will be a comment box.