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Poll

What are your two favorite Mahler Symphonies?

Symphony No. 1 (4-movement version)
2 (8.7%)
Symphony No. 2
4 (17.4%)
Symphony No. 3
1 (4.3%)
Symphony No. 4
0 (0%)
Symphony No. 5
1 (4.3%)
Symphony No. 6
4 (17.4%)
Symphony No. 7
0 (0%)
Symphony No. 8
4 (17.4%)
Das Lied von der Erde
2 (8.7%)
Symphony No. 9
4 (17.4%)
Symphony No. 10 (first movement only)
1 (4.3%)

Total Members Voted: 15



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Topic: Favorite Mahler Symphony  (Read 14656 times)

Offline djealnla

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Favorite Mahler Symphony
on: February 08, 2011, 10:30:57 AM
I don't think this poll has been done before, so enjoy it.  8)

Offline gep

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #1 on: February 08, 2011, 10:44:16 AM
I would say no. 8 is my least favorite. It is a great symphony in general, but not by Mahler's standards. My favourites would be 9 & Lied (don't ask me to choose between them). And why No. 10 "first movement only"???? Truly one must experience the Tenth in its whole, insofar is possible (Cooke et al did a marvellous job there).

all best,
gep
In the long run, any words about music are less important than the music. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not worth talking to (Shostakovich)

Offline simakim

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #2 on: February 08, 2011, 10:54:40 AM
mm. i like symphony 1. especially mov2 :)

Offline djealnla

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #3 on: February 20, 2011, 02:09:18 PM
Truly one must experience the Tenth in its whole, insofar is possible (Cooke et al did a marvellous job there).

Not according to Boulez.

Offline furtwaengler

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #4 on: February 28, 2011, 04:38:25 AM
I would say no. 8 is my least favorite. It is a great symphony in general, but not by Mahler's standards. My favourites would be 9 & Lied (don't ask me to choose between them). And why No. 10 "first movement only"???? Truly one must experience the Tenth in its whole, insofar is possible (Cooke et al did a marvellous job there).

all best,
gep

At least Cooke provided a skeleton. I think you can do better.
Don't let anyone know where you tie your goat.

Offline furtwaengler

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #5 on: February 28, 2011, 04:40:16 AM
Not according to Boulez.

But the Purgatorio is also a finished movement, which his mentor George Szell included.
Don't let anyone know where you tie your goat.

Offline gep

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #6 on: February 28, 2011, 03:15:29 PM
Not according to Boulez.
And? Of course, he is entitled to his opinion, but I think he is wrong. Experiencing Mahler X by the Adagio alone is like experiencing Mahler III by its 1st movement alone. Of course, had Mahler lived the 10th qould have been (quite) different from any of the performing versions as we have them. But still, these performing versions are way better, and give a much more complete (or much less incomplete) idea of the 10th than the Adagio alone. Mind you, had Mahler lived, he no doubt had changed much in the Adagio too, for the state he left it is not the final finished score, but the draft score. So if one does not want any of the performing versions because they are "not Mahler's final word", then you must reject the Adagio too for the same reason. And, for that matter, the 9th too (which he did not fully finish out due to his work on the 5th and 10th; and never did perform, something that caused quite a bit of rewriting too in every symphony), and, since he never lived to perform it, the Lied may be questioned too....

Quote
At least Cooke provided a skeleton.
No, Mahler did. Cooke and the others made a symphonic "cloathing" thereof. Barshai calls his version a "completion", which is a bit too much honor for his attempt I think.
Quote
I think you can do better.
Thank you for the compliment, but you are as mistaken as can be!

Quote
But the Purgatorio is also a finished movement,
No, the Purgatorio is a kind of Scherzo-cum-trio with a Coda (ABA'C). Mahler finished the Scherzo and enough of the Trio to finish that part, but then wrote 'da capo" for the scherzo, not filling it out. It is performed with a literal Da Capo (resulting in ABAC), something Mahler no way would have do, he would no doubt have written the Scherzo again, but with changes therein.

all best,
gep
In the long run, any words about music are less important than the music. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not worth talking to (Shostakovich)

Offline djealnla

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #7 on: March 27, 2011, 04:01:39 PM
And? Of course, he is entitled to his opinion, but I think he is wrong. Experiencing Mahler X by the Adagio alone is like experiencing Mahler III by its 1st movement alone. Of course, had Mahler lived the 10th qould have been (quite) different from any of the performing versions as we have them.

Boulez actually stated that the completions themselves are rather poor, when compared with Mahler's 9th Symphony.

Offline ahinton

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #8 on: March 27, 2011, 05:25:05 PM
Boulez actually stated that the completions themselves are rather poor, when compared with Mahler's 9th Symphony.
Boulez is no fool - very far from it, indeed (although I agree with gep about his views on Mahler X), but isn't almost anything "rather poor, when compared with mahler's 9th Symphony"?(!)?...

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline djealnla

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #9 on: March 28, 2011, 05:02:31 AM
Boulez is no fool - very far from it, indeed (although I agree with gep about his views on Mahler X), but isn't almost anything "rather poor, when compared with mahler's 9th Symphony"?(!)?...

Best,

Alistair

Well, if "almost anything" does not include Bach's top 300 pieces, then I agree. ;)

That being said, I'm surprised to see you making a value judgment about a piece.

Offline ahinton

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #10 on: March 28, 2011, 10:00:43 AM
That being said, I'm surprised to see you making a value judgment about a piece.
I wasn't, really - but that particular symphony is rather special...

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline mnmleung

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #11 on: April 13, 2011, 02:08:12 PM
My favourite Mahler symphony is the 6th
learning
Chopin etude op 10 no 6
Chopin mazurka op 24 no 4
Szymanowski prelude op 1 no 1

Offline djealnla

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #12 on: April 14, 2011, 04:32:54 PM
Deleted

Offline ziddy6

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #13 on: July 22, 2013, 11:39:44 PM
Mahler's 2nd is a work of vast glory and emotional scope and is ONE of my favorites. That's right; both his 2nd and his 3rd are my favorites, from the opening funeral march and closing resurrection of the second, to the triumphant march and woodland call and the ode of love in the third.

Offline kakeithewolf

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #14 on: May 28, 2014, 10:36:18 PM
The Eighth was the only one I was capable of sitting through. By default, it would win.
Per novitatem, artium est renascatur.

Finished with making music for quite a long time.

Offline flashyfingers

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Re: Favorite Mahler Symphony
Reply #15 on: May 29, 2014, 05:23:08 AM
all?
I'm hungry
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