# To continue with Mahler or not?



## Jaffer (Jun 28, 2016)

Okay, the title might be slightly misleading. Just to be clear, I am a huge admirer of Mahler and I've spent the last several months listening primarily to him. I've finished the first five symphonies so far. Now, here's my question. Should I move on to symphony six or instead maybe take a detour and listen to some other composers first? I could start Bruckner, whom I have been meaning to try out for quite a while now. I ask this because I don't want to waste Mahler's music by being overexposed to it. I don't want to rush it. Ideas?


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Bruckner's music is at least as magnificent as Mahler's, if not more. And sometimes it is good to take a break from something you enjoy so as to come back to it later with a renewed and more acute sense of admiration. But it is for you to decide when to make such a break of course.


----------



## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Mahler's symphonies are quite different from each other, so I wouldn't say there's much chance of being overexposed to them, unless you listen to the same work too much repeatedly.


----------



## chesapeake bay (Aug 3, 2015)

I'd say take the Detour to Bruckner and see what you think then try the later Mahler stuff, though I don't think you can lose either way as they are all excellent


----------



## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Why not take a detour to Beethoven's piano sonatas and/or string quartets? Something to "cleanse the palate", so to speak?


----------



## Jaffer (Jun 28, 2016)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> Why not take a detour to Beethoven's piano sonatas and/or string quartets? Something to "cleanse the palate", so to speak?


You make a compelling case


----------



## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Maybe get laid. That would shake things up.


----------



## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

You shouldn't feel the need to explore any composer's works in order, as you never know where your "way in," so to speak, will be found. Granted, you said that Mahler has already hooked you, but if you're thinking about leaving him aside for a bit, do it? Why not? It'll leave the experience even fresher when you come back to it.


----------



## Jaffer (Jun 28, 2016)

Mahlerian said:


> You shouldn't feel the need to explore any composer's works in order, as you never know where your "way in," so to speak, will be found.


I've only explored two symphonists in their chronological order. The first was Beethoven and now there is Mahler. With all the others such as Schubert, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, I haven't followed any order. But Mahler and Beethoven were two people I wanted to listen to in their entirety and also trace their development as they moved on from writing one symphony to the next. It served me excellently with Beethoven particularly, since there was so much development from piece to piece.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Jaffer said:


> I've only explored two symphonists in their chronological order. The first was Beethoven and now there is Mahler. With all the others such as Schubert, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, I haven't followed any order. But Mahler and Beethoven were two people I wanted to listen to in their entirety and also trace their development as they moved on from writing one symphony to the next.


There's your answer; keep moving on with Mahler. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't progress with one of more other composers as well.


----------



## zhopin (Apr 7, 2016)

Bulldog said:


> There's your answer; keep moving on with Mahler. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't progress with one of more other composers as well.


Agreed. Who says you can't listen to both? I think most of us are constantly switching it up. I listen to several different composers daily, but I do go in phases of listening to just one composer occasionally.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

zhopin said:


> Agreed. Who says you can't listen to both? I think most of us are constantly switching it up. I listen to several different composers daily, but I do go in phases of listening to just one composer occasionally.


Amen to this :tiphat:


----------



## Guest (Jul 2, 2016)

I can see how one might be overexposed to an individual piece, but not to a single composer. I see no particular merit in one choice rather than another (though I might not choose Bruckner anyway who, so far, does not speak to me!)


----------

