Prokofiev Symphonies

[dbrainiak914]

I just got recordings of Prokofiev Symphonies 1-7.  I'll listen to all of them some day, but what are true highlights of this set?

[rajordahl1]

All 7 are standard works. Though it's " lightweight " I've always been fond of the "Classical".

[planetdave]

Do listen to the fifth symphony immediately! I think it's one of the greatest symphonies ever written. It was written after WWII and has its share of references to tanks and guns, horror and desolation, but emerges to "mirror the greatness of the human spirit."
The neoclassical first symphony ("The Classical") is witty, brisk, delightful. Definitely Haydnesque, like Shostakovich's ninth symphony.
The seventh symphony has beautiful melodic material and was written for a youth orchestra. Maybe it isn't as complicated as the others, but it's satisfying because of its emotional accessibility and I love it.
I'm not as familiar with the sixth but I've heard it to be "a neglected masterpiece" by some.
By the way, what orchestra and conductor is playing the set you bought?

[apion]

Do listen to the fifth symphony immediately! I think it's one of the greatest symphonies ever written.

Prokofiev's 5th Symphony is one of the top half-dozen to emerge from Russia.