Easily the 7th. A masterpiece of heartfelt compression. Dark and cold clouds roll on and through the very fabric of the Sibelian soul. A final note which tells us it is done, he has finished. The crown among the jewels of his symphonies.

The 7th is indeed a masterpiece. I have come to love it more and more over the years and it one of the symphonies that I listen to most frequently.

My favorite is the 2nd, however. I know I lose some Sibelius "street cred" by admitting it, but the facts are the facts.

Their is no shame in placing the second at the top of the pile. Number 2 has always been the most popular of them, although the fifth has come close in recent years. Even a great Sibelian like Stokowski admitted that although he admired the seventh, he thought that Sibelius had never equaled the sheer inspiration of No. 2.--kp

Yes, I know there is no shame in admitting the 2nd is my favorite...at least there should be no shame.

It was the first of his symphonies that I could really latch onto, which should come as no surprise since it has so much obvious appeal.

While the 2nd is my favorite, it is perhaps not his greatest. For me, his greatest is either the 4th or the 7th...though I would lean towards the 7th.

I've listened to the Second recently, and I think it is a great symphony, and it would have a great popular appeal... but I've always been more attracted to what is not so popular, hence my liking what are probably the three least popular of the bunch... 3, 6, and 7 (why the Seventh is less popular is really not clear to me... is it just the time needed for it??? Awkward programming or something? No clue). And 4 is getting up there on my list too, actually... so that leaves 1, 2, and 5, possibly the most popular of the lot, as the ones I understand the least... kind of funny, I think.

I have a feeling that this thread might have been the very first topic that I posted here at the forum, other than the administrative stuff. I'm happy that first of all it's still alive and that secondly, the voting is very nicely spread out among the Symphonies and not just bulked around 2 and 5. Another mark of Sibelius' power, that he could write 7 symphonies that show a logical progression in style and ability but each is a fine work on its own that finds its special audience of admirers.

I wonder how a similar poll about Beethoven's Symphonies would look? Although a little beyond the scope of this forum, I tend to think they wouldn't be so evenly represented.

Kurkikohtaus wrote:

I wonder how a similar poll about Beethoven's Symphonies would look? Although a little beyond the scope of this forum, I tend to think they wouldn't be so evenly represented.

I agree... probably 5 and 9 would have the most, then 3 and 7... 6... it wouldn't be too fair, I have to say.

Agree with Violist...symphonies 5 and 9 would win by an overwhelimg margin.

Of Beethoven's symphonies, it's the 9th for me. (Greatest symphony ever written, actually.)

Maybe a Beethoven symphony thread??