Your Least Favourite Mahler Symphony?

[Stan Drews]

And while I'm at it: are the subjective comments above any more/less valid than those txt or phoned in to the Brkfst Prog?

[Norfolk Born]

One could, were one basically so inclined (or in a particularly peevish frame of mind), argue that there is no point in commenting, or having an opinion, on any aspect of any composer's oeuvre, or indeed on any performance of same.
This would greatly reduce the number and range of messages on this Forum - and that would (IMHO) be a great pity.
PS: My least favourite piano piece is Chopin's 'Minute Waltz', 'cos it's hardly ever lasts exactly 1 minute and it's therefore impossible, regardless of how well it's performed, to play it 6 times in a row without a break and hope that my hard-boiled egg will come out right....now, if THAT isn't a good reason for not liking a particular piece, I don't know what is.

[barber olly]

And while I'm at it: are the subjective comments above any more/less valid than those txt or phoned in to the Brkfst Prog?

Probably/not

[PJPJ]

Shouldn't that be "prolly/not"? ( :-) )

[Serial_Apologist]

Troll-ly not

[PJPJ]

Perhaps I ought to have pointed out "prolly" is txtese for "probably"......

[visualnickmos]

Very difficult and touchy subject: For me, I have to be in a Mahler 'frame of mind', so don't often listen, but when I do I sometimes feel quite drained by the end - not always in a positive way - regardless of what it is. But sometimes I feel uplifted. I certainly think Mahler's music is extremely introverted; I don't know much about the man, but the impression I get, is that he really was writing for listeners with an intellectual - almost elitist desire to understand him, creatively.
Was he hugely egocentric? I think he may heve been. Did he ever laugh? Make jokes, chat with friends over a glass of wine.... I somehow cannot imagine that!
Back to the point of this discussion; a least favourite is impossible for me, but the symphony I find the deepest and most affecting, is the sixth - I adore the Szell/Cleveland live recording.

[Serial_Apologist]

Can't totally agree, visualnickos. All those singeable, broad melodies, and the, er, "rousing" marches, surely were intended as gateways to deeper regions, which I am sure Mahler felt universally expressible and communicable.

He does have the same effects on me though - as I tried to express above.

[Roslynmuse]

Least favourite - not the way I would describe it; but whilst the prospect and result of listening to favourite recordings of Nos 1, 2, 3 (slightly less), 4 (slightly less again), 6 (I emphasise favourite recording - in the wrong hands this can fall way short of excited expectation in a way that even No 2 never quite does), and 10 never fail to equate, I relish the idea of hearing Nos 5, 7, 8 and 9 rather less, despite loving parts of all of them. For example, I could quite happily live without the first part of No 8, but wouldn't want to be without the second part, and the opening movements of 7 and 9 promise much more than I find has been delivered at the end of the last movements. I know some will find that absolutely inexplicable in No 9, but it's just me; something in the music makes me shut down and resist. No 5 is the most problematic of all for me; the third movement almost kills it for me; it is briefly and gloriously revived in mt 4 only to die once and for all in mt 5.

[barber olly]

Shouldn't that be "prolly/not"? ( :-) )

no

[Serial_Apologist]

Least favourite - not the way I would describe it; but whilst the prospect and result of listening to favourite recordings of Nos 1, 2, 3 (slightly less), 4 (slightly less again), 6 (I emphasise favourite recording - in the wrong hands this can fall way short of excited expectation in a way that even No 2 never quite does), and 10 never fail to equate, I relish the idea of hearing Nos 5, 7, 8 and 9 rather less, despite loving parts of all of them. For example, I could quite happily live without the first part of No 8, but wouldn't want to be without the second part, and the opening movements of 7 and 9 promise much more than I find has been delivered at the end of the last movements. I know some will find that absolutely inexplicable in No 9, but it's just me; something in the music makes me shut down and resist. No 5 is the most problematic of all for me; the third movement almost kills it for me; it is briefly and gloriously revived in mt 4 only to die once and for all in mt 5.

I have to say I detect a strong hommage to Siegfrieds idyll in that famous Intermezzo from the Fifth.

[PJPJ]

I have to say I detect a strong hommage to Siegfrieds idyll in that famous Intermezzo from the Fifth.

I have seen references to that in print in more than one place - where, I cannot now recall.

[french frank]

And while I'm at it: are the subjective comments above any more/less valid than those txt or phoned in to the Brkfst Prog?

They are at least about music, rather than 'What I Did On My Holiday'

[visualnickmos]

Hello Serial_Apologist (msg 23)

Yes - singable and rousing indeed, and great music, of course. I also agree with you about gateways to deeper rogions, but it's the 'universally ...communicable" bit I have difficulty with. Perhaps Mahler was really born before the world was ready for him - a man well-ahead of his time, and who knows where his genius would have led, had he not passed away so sadly prematurely.

[vinteuil]

: My least favourite piano piece is Chopin's 'Minute Waltz', 'cos it's hardly ever lasts exactly 1 minute

Ofca man - I think that the 'Minute' in the minute waltz is "my newt" rather than "minnit". It's a small waltz, not a sixty second one. Not to be used to time one's boiled eggs - for that, the recommendation is The Times crossword - if you like a soft-boiled egg