# Which Mahler should I listen to next?



## LAS (Dec 12, 2014)

I've stayed away from Mahler, not because I'd heard him and didn't like him, but because I had an impression that he was dense and inaccessible. I acquired a CD of his first symphony by accident and found it to be extremely accessible. I want to get another Mahler symphony (better yet, 2 on one CD). Which one or two do you recommend?

TIA
LAS


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I would suggest the 4th. Most music appreciation books give that as their Mahler example.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Many, many moons ago I first heard the Adagietto from the 5th but at the time I had no idea which symphony it was from. I went to my local record shop and the only Mahler they had was a recording of the 6th symphony which did not contain the Adagietto I was looking for, but it did contain one of the greatest works ever written in my book.

I then sought out all Mahler's symphonies and started with Symphony 1 and worked my way through in numerical order. I love all of them. The few people I turned Mahler onto I usually started with the 5th which others always seem to think it difficult but they all instantly latched onto it without issue and then did the same as me, started with the 1st and worked their way through in numerical order.

I don't have a problem listening to or enjoying any of his works but your ears may vary. You won't find 2 on 1 disc because they are too long, but I would recommend your next listening either be the 2nd or 5th. 

I guess, part of it would depend on if you mind singing or do you like opera? Symphonies 2, 3, 4, 8 and Das Lied Von Der Erde (a Symphony in all but name) all contain singing. Symphony 8 is usually the hardest for most to get into and it contains a lot of singing. Most people I know rank that one as their least favorite.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Try no. 5 or 9 if you don't want singing


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

I started with the fourth, and that's what I would recommend as well. 

I'd say the order of accessibility is 1,4,5,2,6,3,9,7,8. 

Good recording of the fourth is Szell with Cleveland Orchestra.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

If you're interested, David Hurwitz's listener's guide to Mahler helped me out when I first got into his music. He writes for the nonmusician, so he is not overly technical, and he gives a blow-by-blow account of each symphony. You can tell he really loves this music and wants to get others to love it as well.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

You won't get two Mahler symphonies on a CD but they are very inexpensive anyway second hand. I would actually start with no 2.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2019)

I agree - go in order. The 2nd symphony is magnificent. Mahler's symphonies are far too long for you to ever find a single CD with multiple symphonies on it.


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

5th. The 2nd drags on a bit too long especially in the finale. The 4th is pretty - but too tame. I want Sturm und Drang! 3nd is awesome - very long though. 6th is grim - really grim.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Radames said:


> 3nd is awesome - very long though.


That is my favorite of the Mahler symphonies. I got hooked in after watching What the Universe Tells Me.  It is long, but it maintains its interest.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

*Which Mahler should I listen to next? *

Gustav.


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## Littlephrase (Nov 28, 2018)

The Titan was the first Mahler which really clicked for me and yet, at the current moment, it is at the bottom of my favorite symphonies by him. In other words: all of Mahler is great and worth discovering.


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## LAS (Dec 12, 2014)

SONNET CLV said:


> *Which Mahler should I listen to next? *
> 
> Gustav.


Chuckle..... (had to enter 15 characters, hence the dots.)


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Radames said:


> The 2nd drags on a bit too long especially in the finale.


I don't hear it that way at all. Anyways, I always recommend listening in chronological order; that gives me the best insight as to the composer's train of thought as time moves on.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Ask 10 people which Mahler symphony to listen to and you will get 11 different answers (some folks just can't make up their minds!) Of course all the answers are their personal opinions based on their interests, biases and temperaments and, given that they know little about the OP, probably have little relevance to original question. Having said that, there is value to the numeric order suggestion especially given how Mahler's style evolved. I won't give an opinion other than to say, ignore negative opinions ... YMMV. (Especially regarding the 8th!)


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## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

LAS said:


> I want to get another Mahler symphony (*better yet, 2 on one CD*). Which one or two do you recommend?


If you go for economy, just buy a complete box of Mahler, as these offer most value for money and you have everything available. Boulez, Chailly, Haitink 'kerstmatinee' (incomplete), the last Abbado set, each offer a good quality.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

^ good advice (also Gielen, Kubelik).

Especially because opinions are very much divided on the value of each Mahler symphonies, perhaps more than for any other symphony cycle. Which means that listening to other people's choices can backfire completely.

That said, the next one you should listen to is of course the 4th.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I found a lot of Mahler took me a long time to really get into. It is not that I didn't enjoy, say, the 2nd symphony but I certainly wasn't being transported by it in the way I am now. Even now I do find that with some symphonies the performance really matters to me. I like very different performances but they have to be great! I started with Mahler 5 which is a simple enough piece but amazing for all that. It was my favourite for a long time.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Manxfeeder said:


> That is my favorite of the Mahler symphonies. I got hooked in after watching What the Universe Tells Me.  It is long, but it maintains its interest.


 This is a marvelous presentation that's mainly about Mahler's epic Third Symphony. Don't miss any chance to see it. I do not believe that anyone new to this great composer can blindly follow anyone else's recommendation of order because everyone has a different opinion. The first Mahler I heard was his 10th and then I explored the other symphonies as they came to me or my mood dictated, perhaps inspired by a documentary like this. I believe everyone has an instinct that one needs to follow in order to appreciate the order of these symphonies, and the order will be different for everyone. I think too often listeners are just afraid to take a chance and dive into the experience and look for a performance that grabs them with sufficient interest. The number of Mahler performances online is staggering. So much to choose from with regard to any of his symphonies.


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

You can try all of the Mahler symphonies for $.99 from this download. Buy CD's later based on which symphonies you like most. Or you may stick with the download as it is quite good also.









https://www.amazon.com/Big-Mahler-Box-Bach-Guild/dp/B008J7G5LO/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=big+mahler+box&qid=1550753236&s=gateway&sr=8-1


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

LAS said:


> I've stayed away from Mahler, not because I'd heard him and didn't like him, but because I had an impression that he was dense and inaccessible. I acquired a CD of his first symphony by accident and found it to be extremely accessible. I want to get another Mahler symphony (better yet, 2 on one CD). Which one or two do you recommend?
> 
> TIA
> LAS


I recommend next try Mahler's 5th. After that that, the 4th, 6th, or 7th.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Oldhoosierdude said:


> You can try all of the Mahler symphonies for $.99 from this download. Buy CD's later based on which symphonies you like most. Or you may stick with the download as it is quite good also.


I forgot about that one. Good call!


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Fritz Kobus said:


> I recommend next try Mahler's 5th. After that that, the 4th


The good thing about listening to the 5th before the 4th is that you'll become so familiar with its opening motif that it should be easy to spot its appearance in the first movement of the earlier symphony.


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## MrMeatScience (Feb 15, 2015)

Manxfeeder said:


> That is my favorite of the Mahler symphonies. I got hooked in after watching What the Universe Tells Me.  It is long, but it maintains its interest.


Funny to see this mentioned here -- I studied with one of the musicologists in the documentary. Apparently, he's gone on to make several more Mahler films, with a plan to have one for each symphony, but they've been somewhat diligent about keeping them off of YouTube.

In any case, I'll add my voice to the chorus suggesting the Fourth -- it's beautiful, and on the more accessible end of the Mahler spectrum. It's also quite short by his standards, so if staying focused for the full duration of some of the bigger ones (the Third, for instance) proves a challenge, the Fourth'll be a nice way to get your feet wet.


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## Cygnenoir (Dec 21, 2011)

The first time I listened to any Mahler, I was absolutely overwhelmed. It was the Chorus Mysticus, the grand finale of the 8th. It wasn't until a few years later I listened through the whole piece. I can, in some ways, understand why so many struggle with this symphony, because of its structure and vocal antics. But maybe it was an advantage to know the finale, because I knew how rewarding it all would be, even though I enjoyed (almost) every second of it. Especially the 2nd mvt. How Faust's struggles ends in total bliss. It speaks to me as a spiritual guy.

By unknown reasons I have, not exactly struggled with, but had a harder time connecting with Das Lied von der Erde


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

That documentary posted by Manxfeeder is a good impetus to get out the Third and listen to it again. 
I like Mahler because he was essentially humble. He was playing the "bombast game" (last inning, final quarter, turn of the century, game almost over, memory almost full), but he was still humble enough to tell Man to "beware." Maybe he was clairvoyantly predicting the coming of the hydrogen bomb. After all, World War I happened right after Mahler, and it was one of the worst wars in history.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

The order I cracked them, and was able to get into the music: 5, 9, 4, 2, 1, 7, 6, 3. The 7th is now my favourite by a large margin. 8 is the toughest to chew. I usually spit it out after a while.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Sometimes I listen to single movements in isolation, as if they were tone poems. I frequently listen to the Adagio of the Fifth by itself, and the "drone" first movement of the First.


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## LAS (Dec 12, 2014)

Manxfeeder said:


> I would suggest the 4th. Most music appreciation books give that as their Mahler example.


Well, I finally acquired the 4th and listened to it today. Boy was I surprised. I had an impression that Mahler was dense and dark. This, of course, was the exact opposite. Cheerful, dancelike, folk songish. What is your recommendation about Mahler's densist and darkest symphony?

tia
las


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## LAS (Dec 12, 2014)

Art Rock said:


> ^ good advice (also Gielen, Kubelik).
> That said, the next one you should listen to is of course the 4th.


Well, I finally acquired the 4th and listened to it today. Boy was I surprised. I had an impression that Mahler was dense and dark. This, of course, was the exact opposite. Cheerful, dancelike, folk songish. What is your recommendation about Mahler's densist and darkest symphony?

tia
las


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

I liked the fourth as an introduction. I'm just now getting into Mahler too. So far, the two symphonies I have listened to and enjoyed are the two shortest: No.4 and No.1. Of the two I think I slightly prefer No.1 but both are really good. I'm unsure of where to go from here, but I'm debating getting a box set of the whole cycle (leaning toward Kubelik, Chailly, or Bertini... too many choices) and working my way through chronologically.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

One thing I have noticed with Mahler is that his symphonies do not really reward repeat listening in the short-term. For example I've listened to the 1st symphony about 4 times in the past week. I love it, but it's kind of diminishing returns each time. This is another reason why I think I would benefit from getting the full cycle so I can, yes, cycle through them. Though I may be alone on this.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

All the symphonies can be heard online without having to choose a box set. It’s a cornucopia of opportunity and there are no wrong choices... with a wide variety of conductors and orchestras though not by absolutely everyone.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

There is no other Mahler symphony similar to the first which is a classical Viennese design and content. Everything else he wrote is less well organized, less traditional, much louder and they all have one shortcoming or another, in my opinion.

I would agree the 4th symphony is more accessible than the others after the 1st but bear in mind it is not like the 1st symphony. It includes long sections in the first three movements where Mahler has extreme gear changes; you may be going along humming a tune and suddenly it stops and is replaced by something else. This happens regularly in every other Mahler symphony.

Also, the final movement includes a soprano singing about a child's view of heaven.

If you liked the Mahler 1st symphony and wanted to hear something like it I might recommend the Bruckner 3rd or 4th symphony ahead of any other Mahler symphony. And if you want to stick with Mahler I'd suggest the 5th symphony which in my opinion is the only one without a serious wart somewhere.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

The 4th can be easily looked at as a light, song-like symphony but I feel that is just as much of a mistake as looking at Vaughan Williams' 3rd in the same light. The RVW 3rd isn't really pastoral and owes a lot to the composers experiences in WW1. Mahler's 4th likewise has a lot of dark, ghostlike undercurrents which should not be downplayed. The violin in the scherzo which is tuned a tone higher than the rest depicts a personification of death as in Bocklin's _Self-Portrait with Death playing the Fiddle_. Also the text in the last movement seems to owe more to the Brothers Grimm than Hans Christian Andersen.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Larkenfield said:


> All the symphonies can be heard online without having to choose a box set. It's a cornucopia of opportunity and there are no wrong choices... with a wide variety of conductors and orchestras though not by absolutely everyone.


Just based on the way my brain works, I think listening to a cycle by one conductor and orchestra would help me process the HUGE amount of music better. Obviously, no one is going to get everything just right. But it took listening through to a complete cycle for me to really understand Beethoven, who is now one of if not my favorite composer, and I think a composer of Mahler's caliber deserves similar treatment. Perhaps I'm wrong though as you and several others have seemed to posit that getting a box set is not the right idea for a new fan.

Regardless, that doesn't mean I won't continue listening through to others' interpretations online as I have been doing anyway.

I never thought I'd make it this far to begin with :lol: Mahler always struck me as one of the most arcane of composers, and his massive popularity has kind of baffled me. But I am starting to get it.


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## Moroteuthis (Apr 21, 2018)

LAS said:


> Well, I finally acquired the 4th and listened to it today. Boy was I surprised. I had an impression that Mahler was dense and dark. This, of course, was the exact opposite. Cheerful, dancelike, folk songish. What is your recommendation about Mahler's densist and darkest symphony?
> 
> tia
> las


Darkest? 6. To the point there's some debate over where to place the inner two movements, in part so as not to beat the listener over the head with half an hour of gloom at the end. (The scherzo being much darker and heavier than the andante.)

Densest? Probably 8. It certainly seems to be the one people struggle with the most. I actually like 8 quite a bit. It's not particularly gloomy, for whatever that's worth. 7 seems to be right behind it on the difficulty list for most.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Mahler hooked me instantly. Yes, he's dense, but I feel that he's extremely accessible to modern audiences very used to late-romantic style of film scoring. Mahler is just that on a much more complex and emotional level. I don't think you can go wrong listening to Mahler in any order, but each symphony is so different and distinct you may love one and hate another depending on your mood and/or tastes. I'd also just recommend a budget box set to get all of them, and make sure to get Das Lied von der Erde (It's really Mahler's 10th) and perhaps some of the wonderful song cycles. Kubelik or one of Bernstein's would make for a very solid first choice, or perhaps Bertini or Gielen if you want something more modern--slightly less "bombastic/romantic" but in better sound.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

LAS said:


> Well, I finally acquired the 4th and listened to it today. Boy was I surprised. I had an impression that Mahler was dense and dark. This, of course, was the exact opposite. Cheerful, dancelike, folk songish. *What is your recommendation about Mahler's densist and darkest symphony?
> 
> *tia
> las


There are different "types" of Mahler denseness/darkness:

2nd - Starts dark and intense, lightens up in the middle sections, last section has a religious-like intensity to it. Finale is one of my favorite pieces of music ever. Can't listen to the ending without being reduced to a ball of shivering tears.

6th - It's nicknamed "Tragic" for reason. This is probably Mahler's most overtly dour. It feels like a symphony of suffering.

7th - This is more of a "fantasy" darkness, a kind of "nachtmusik" if you will. Think demons and fairies and stuff like that.

9th - This is a very spiritual work that's a mix of darkness and hope. This feels like the most mythical of Mahler's works.


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