Your favorite movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony


Just curious to know what movement of this legendary masterwork people would choose as their favorite one. For me, the whole thing is a palace, but if I were forced to pick just one movement it would be the 1st, simply magnificent!!!

What about you?
ianitode4b
It looks like you're trying to quote Gary Oldman in the movie "Professional"(with Jean Reno) where i said "...I love Mozart Bethoven... Magnificent 1st movements but further on it all sucks!...:-)

No offence certainly but to myself I can only sing-out the 1st movement and the rest of'em arn't in my memory
For me, it's the second movement. Perhaps the greatest scherzo ever written. From my point of view, the rest of the symphony goes downhill from there, but I know I'm in the minority here.
I can think of no other symphony where each and every one of the movements is of such high caliber. My preference changes all the time. I fell in love with the Scherzo - 2nd movement when I saw Georg Solti with the Chicago Symphony in rehearsal performing it (remember it in "A Clockwork Orange", too?)

Right now I'd have to say I enjoy the 1st movement the most. Great flow, complex and complete.
Marakenetz, great memory, I'd forgotten that! Liked that movie, Oldman was a bit over the top but still good. Interesting he then played the part of Beethoven in Immortal Beloved.