Question:
Favorite Mahler Symphonies in order of 1-10?
anonymous
2009-01-14 08:49:46 UTC
My man Gustav has been getting some action lately here on the Classical Forum. No need to tell me why you like them in that order but feel free to. Here we go.

2- One of the greatest symphonies ever written. Use of modulation is close to miraculous.
7- Inventive
1- Great melodies
3- All of the above
5- Second most sublime adagio ever written; Beethovens 9th Adagio is gets first place
4- Great First Movement
8- Great but a little bombastic
6-Love the finale
9- Never warmed up to it
10- Same as 9
Five answers:
del_icious_manager
2009-01-14 09:29:41 UTC
To put them in order is cruel indeed. And you've missed out his real 9th symphony - Das Lied von der Erde. Oh well, I'll try with the numbered ones alone.



9 - powerful, disturbing, heartbreaking

10 - agonised, disturbed, the last movement always reduces me to tears

6 - 'Classical' in structure. Love the relentless marching of the 1st movement and the drama of the 4th (in which order do you think the middle two movements should be?)

7 - weird and wonderful. Underrated

2 - the last movement just transports you somewhere else

3 - HUGE, divine, satisfying

4 - his 'chamber' symphony, full of hidden depths

5 - a little overplayed, perhaps but the central scherzo is masterful

1 - again, overplayed. I like the original version (1889) with 'Blumine'. Makes sense of the rambling 4th movement

8 - beautiful moments - I just find the structure a little creaky



If I included 'Das Lied von der Erde', it would come between 3 and 4 on my list.



Edit to mephisto:

I think to ignore the Tenth (I realise you don't say you ignore it but you suggest it with words like 'bastardisation') is a mistake. I think what is most notable between the various 'completions' are the similarities rather than the differences (on the most part), which suggests to me (who hasn't seen the original sketches) that the symphony was in an advanced enough state to warrant such a 'completion'. I can't comment on the views of the Bernsteins, Boulezes, Haitinks, KubelĂ­ks and Walters (I did work with Haitink once and, foolishly, forget to ask him about this!) but I think it was THEIR loss to ignore the Tenth. For whatever faults it may have, I would not want to be without it as it contains some of Mahler's most profound, heart-breaking and terrifying music.



Maybe we should have a question on the various performing versions out there?
mephistopheles
2009-01-14 09:40:00 UTC
Why should we have to list all ten?

Why should an arrogant representation of Mahlers final concept have to be compared with those that are the real thing?

Any performance of the tenth is merely a copy of the reality

and exactly which bastardized version are we here referencing?

Many notable conductors have refused to acknowledge such.

Bruno Walter,

Rafael Kubelik,

John Barbirolli,

George Solti,

Bernard Haitink,

Claudio Abbado,

Leonard Bernstein.

I feel I'm in good company.



Symphony No.2 "Resurrection" is my current favourite

closely followed by the ninth but since I'm not going to list all ten then it may be pointless to go on...
relaxin_adios&thanks
2009-01-14 09:55:05 UTC
My list ... tough choice for the first slot (I let my trombone mind get the best of me).

3

5

1

2

9

6

7

4

8

10
?
2009-01-14 08:53:52 UTC
Only enjoy #2 and #8.
Stephen G
2009-01-14 10:10:55 UTC
6,7,5,2,8, 10,9,1,3,4


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