I don’t want to listen to Mahler very much

[David Ayers]

...except the songs 

 

(this thought may be incomplete)

[HutchFan]

O.K.

 

 

Why?

[Chuck Nessa]

Listening to the 2nd Symphony at the moment.

[JSngry]

But do you want to?

[Rooster_Ties]

I just wish there was more Mahler to listen to. Chamber music especially.

Other than that one piano-quartet movement he wrote at, what, the age of 16 - there ain’t no more than that.

Next best thing, I guess, are the wonderful chamber arrangements of Mahler 4 & 9, and then of course the duo-piano arrangements of Mahler 6 & 7 (all of which I have on CD, except the chamber version of 9).

And I think there’s a organ arrangement of Mahler 5, iirc - which I’ve never heard more than samples of (and that was over 10 year ago).

Anyway, it’s a damn shame Gustav never wrote a string quartet (or half a dozen). Or a piano quintet, or some sort of clarinet quartet/quintet - either clarinet with all strings, or piano + strings.

To say nothing of a nice cello sonata, and piano sonata.

Or what the heck, a piano concerto - and other concerti.

I don’t listen to Mahler all the time, but I love it whenever I do. And I’d listen to more Mahler if there was more Mahler to listen.

Heck, even that Uri Caine disc of wild jazz reinterpretations of Mahler is fun every now and then.

[JSngry]

Here's a delightful change-of-pace:

 

For sale: https://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Lieder-Early-Recordings-1915-1949/dp/B0000TWALI

Review: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=89474

 

[David Ayers]

20 hours ago, HutchFan said:

O.K.

 

 

Why?

I know why I love the songs and the solo vocal movements, but I don’t much reach for a CD of the symphonies and in recent years have infrequently attended a performance, though over time I’ve heard everything except the 8th, multiple times. I made my remark when I was starting to listen to a radio recording of the 3rd and realised I wasn’t up for it. So much emotionality? So much crashing and bashing? So long? Or just so familiar? Here’s the recording:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000hppq

[HutchFan]

2 hours ago, David Ayers said:

I know why I love the songs and the solo vocal movements, but I don’t much reach for a CD of the symphonies and in recent years have infrequently attended a performance, though over time I’ve heard everything except the 8th, multiple times. I made my remark when I was starting to listen to a radio recording of the 3rd and realised I wasn’t up for it. So much emotionality? So much crashing and bashing? So long? Or just so familiar? Here’s the recording:

 

Understandable.

Sometimes, Mahler is just too much.

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by HutchFan