Greetings all round
Another impossible question to answer in this Forum: perhaps it would might lead to more interesting discussion if the question were "What makes a symphony most enjoyable?".
I'll volunteer an answer, in perfect readiness to be contradicted or even shot down in flames:
(i) structure (so you have the melodic and contrapuntal signposts to tell you - even if you don't read music or know anything about musical theory - "where you are" in relation to the rest of the work);
(ii) orchestral colour (it's not a string quartet or a piano sonata - how effective and evocative are the composer's use of the various instruments and instrumental sections?);
(iii) balance of flavours and moods between, and within, separate movements;
(iv) emotional effect and impact of the whole piece (not in any way objectively measurable).
Not necessarily in that order. But these are a sine qua non for a shortlist. And among those (many) that tick all the boxes, I'll suggest Bruckner's 8th as a supreme example.
What think you all out there?
L
Another impossible question to answer in this Forum: perhaps it would might lead to more interesting discussion if the question were "What makes a symphony most enjoyable?".
I'll volunteer an answer, in perfect readiness to be contradicted or even shot down in flames:
(i) structure (so you have the melodic and contrapuntal signposts to tell you - even if you don't read music or know anything about musical theory - "where you are" in relation to the rest of the work);
(ii) orchestral colour (it's not a string quartet or a piano sonata - how effective and evocative are the composer's use of the various instruments and instrumental sections?);
(iii) balance of flavours and moods between, and within, separate movements;
(iv) emotional effect and impact of the whole piece (not in any way objectively measurable).
Not necessarily in that order. But these are a sine qua non for a shortlist. And among those (many) that tick all the boxes, I'll suggest Bruckner's 8th as a supreme example.
What think you all out there?
L