What is your favorite Mahler symphony?!
Question: I have a real fondness for No.1, it is a very cool first symphony - but overall I'd have to say No.9. It really is an example of Mahler's concept that a symphony being "all encompassing." In actually fact it really should have been called number ten, because it is preceeded by "Das Lieder von der Erde" which, by Mahlers standards could have also been entitled a symphony (his propensity for including vocals in symphonic works being what it was).
Answers: I have a real fondness for No.1, it is a very cool first symphony - but overall I'd have to say No.9. It really is an example of Mahler's concept that a symphony being "all encompassing." In actually fact it really should have been called number ten, because it is preceeded by "Das Lieder von der Erde" which, by Mahlers standards could have also been entitled a symphony (his propensity for including vocals in symphonic works being what it was).
Yes! I'll claim Symphonies 1 through 10. Why limit yourself? ... All his works are big huge gigantazoid orchestral masterpieces.
They all break new ground, in size, scope, instrumentation, etc... poor Mr. Mahler just gets overshadowed by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart (and Pachelbel's 1 hit)
Read up
http://www.musicweb-international.com/Ma...
there's all sorts of good info on Gustav's works.
#2 and #4. Hard to choose between the two for me. I love the goose bumps of the opening "Auferstehn" if the chorus is really on its "vocal" toes and singing as quietly as possible. How to get over 60 people to sing that quietly?!? that's just the opening line!
#4 I love because it's finally something that's got some smitch of gaiety to it. Mahler was too into expressing emotions all over the place, mostly negative ones, and here he gives us a bit of a break. The Vision of Heaven in the last movement is some of the happiest music he wrote.
For me it has to be Symphony No 5