My Ranking of Mahler’s Symphonies
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ค. 2023
- Happy Birthday Gustav Mahler!
I hope you enjoy my ranking of his symphonies.
Number 9: 2:29
Number 8: 5:39
Number 7: 7:41
Number 6: 12:07
Number 5: 15:29
Number 4: 18:16
Number 3: 21:04
Number 2: 23:10
Number 1: 26:23
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#mahler
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Hello everyone! If you like me to do more ranking for other symphony cycles from other composers, let me know!
Do Haydn. All 104 of them as a warm up. Then do Leif Selim Segerstam.
Bruckner!
Tchaikovsky and Dvorak
Beethoven
Segerstam
The key to understanding the 7th Symphony, my favorite symphony, is don't overthink it. It is Mahler having fun creating sound images.
Really, the key to understand any Mahler symphony, is first get a GOOD RECORDING ahah!
Listening to Mahler 2nd Symphony performed live is a before and after life experience. Truly a transformative moment. My connection to music changed forever after that day.
I discovered Mahler in 1985 for the first time. The first symphony i heard was the 2nd. After that i could not get enough of his music. I also love the final movement of the 3rd symphony. Lost count of how many times i have listened to it..
Great commentary. I can't possibly rate them in order.
I was a little surprised that you called the ninth "slightly overrated. It usually appears at the top!
As beautiful as the Finale is, for me, it's the first movement that really knocks my socks off. I think that's the greatest single movement that Mahler ever wrote.
I think the seventh will grow on you. I think it is grossly underrated. The first movement in particular is one of the most amazing things he ever wrote. And the much abhorred finale is fantastic. People don't understand is that when Mahler sounds trite or bombastic,, he is doing it on purpose. Mahler wanted to reflect all of life in his music. And that includes the good the bad and the ugly. The miracle of his music is how he manages to pull it off.
#10. The first movement is absolutely searing in intensity. The first Scherzo is wonderful and there was enough of it that I think it's a reasonable representation. The final two movements are more problematic. I usually skip over the second scherzo. The finale although overly long, has some tremendous music and it's such a shame Mahler never orchestrated it. He probably would have made cuts. But as it is , the final ten minutes are just about the most beautiful thing in creation , rivaling the end of the third symphony. Makes me sob every time.
I agree what you say about the finale of the third. But my favorite movement in all of Mahler is the first movement. It is just outrageously original and clever. There truly is nothing like it by anyone else.
Mahler died at age fifty one. One wonders where he would have gone from here.
I'm glad you put the eighth so high. I will never understand how people who claim to love Mahler can not like the 8th..
Funny on the day you put this video out, I was in Darmstadt at the last rehearsal of mahler 2. It was a breathtaking performance and best at rehearsal day you can take the best seats for free.
Mahler is definitely my favorite composer, and I love seeing other people’s rankings of the symphonies. Here’s my personal ranking (including Das Lied Von der Erde):
1. No. 3
Favorite mvt: 6
2. No. 9
Mvt: tie with 3 and 4
3. DLvdE
Mvt: 6
4. No. 1
Mvt: 3
5. No. 6
Mvt: Andante
6. No. 8
Mvt: pretty much the whole thing
7. No. 5
Mvt: 2
8. No. 4
Mvt: 4
9. No. 7
Mvt: tie with 4 and 5
10. No. 2
Mvt: 5
I really don’t know why Symphony No. 2 is my least favorite considering how many people love it and rank it top. Guess it’s just taste. The Finale is undoubtedly spectacular though.
Also, when has anyone called No. 5 “The Giant” symphony?
I've heard it called that a couple of other times. People are always trying to come up with nicknames for symphonies and most of them are pretty stupid, perhaps there's some history behind it but 'giant' doesn't seem to fit this symphony at all, as it's on the shorter side of Mahler's symphonies.
the first is the Giant.
I'm totally with you on the final Adagio of the Third. Not so much with the Second! The one and only live performance I attended was so overwhelming I was unable to speak for hours afterwards.
@@haomingli6175 the First is called the "Titan."
Yes. 3 is literally so good. It's what made me fall in love with Mahler.
Loved the video. While I almost had a stroke seeing the almighty 6th symphony ranked so low, it's always a pleasure to listen to a fellow Mahlerite rambling about Mahler symphonies. And I mostly agree with your ranking except for the 6th placement (and the 8th I don't know very well yet).
The 8th rewards repeated listenings.The final few minutes of Part 2 are absolutely cosmic. The one and only live performance I was lucky enough to attend was thrilling beyond words. Enjoy!
A Mahlerite? I thought Mahler was a person not a country
No offense though, I get what you mean, I just had to make that joke.
@@desireemontalvo-dobao3411 Not funny. The suffix "ite" denotes followers, devotees or admirers of people and their work as well as places, tribes etc. In 1898 no less than G.B. Shaw, for example, published a Marxian analysis of Wagner's Ring called The Perfect Wagnerite. Is English not your first language?
It’s been challenging to get into and understand Mahler, thank you for making this, I will return to this video as I use it as a guide!
I’ve only heard 1,2 and 9
The scope of his work is so massive and his expression comes off so honest, that I seek to fathom him
Good for you! My own favorite is #3, I envy you the experience of hearing it for the first time.
@@davidblackburn3396 that’s a great way to think of it going in now, thank you for that encouragement and perspective
What a glorious 30 minutes. Thank you
Mahler is my favourite composer followed closely behind by Bruckner
Thanks for the analysis! I managed to get tickets to the 2nd symphony next month and now I can’t wait!
I am a huge Mahlerian myself, and I enjoyed your video a lot! I do not agree with your "hierarchy" of symphonies, but the way to speak about the different pieces made me feel so happy, knowing people feel the same way I do about Mahler´s music!
Please rank other symphonic cycles! What about Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev? :)
I enjoyed hearing your take on this amazing body of work. I heard the Sixth just the other day and was remembering what a tough nut that was for me to crack at first - and now it's one of my favorites. If you ever re-do this list in, oh, five or ten years say - your entire ranking might well be different. Nice work!
I really enjoyed this video and your rankings are very solid. For me, from best to worst, I'd choose 3, 2, 9, 5, 6, 8, 1, 7, 4. I adore Mahler's music so much and it's wonderful to hear someone speak on their love for it also.
I would have the same ranks as yours. But, man, it is so difficult to rank top 5, if one is really into Mahler's symphonies.
I would rank it 2, 3, 1, 6, 5, 9, 8, 7, 4. Though for me you can switch up many of the positions other then top 2 and bottom 3
The 6th symphony has moments that remind me of Shostakovich (though Mahler got there first). I am lucky to have played the first four symphonies in (amatuer) concerts, and the 6th symphony in a play day, and, while I haven't played them, to have heard the CBSO play the 5th and 8th symphonies live. (The 8th was one of the last converts I heard before COVID hit. When that hit I was so grateful that I got to hear it live before concerts were cancelled and postponed) Do love Mahler! The final movements of Mahler 2 and 3 are such huge contrasts, yet both great ways to end a symphony. When I performed Mahler 3 a few years ago it was my favourite, but playing Mahler 2 a couple of months ago was truly thrilling!
Great work! Really enjoyed your video. My first Mahler symphony was actually his first and i was blown away immediately. I was 23 or somehting, it was 15 years ago.
Very nice video. Thank you
i love how you started the video with an image of someone who is NOT mahler LOL
I believe that is the actor who plays Mahler in the 1974 biopic.
@@christopherbradford8051 yes you're right, i actually watched it after this video
very interesting
@@christopherbradford8051 Yes, that was Robert Powell, he played Mahler in Ken Russell's film. He also played Tommy's Father in Russell's Tommy.
You are spot on with your rankings. Mahler is the world and perhaps that which lies beyond.
I once downloaded (from Usenet) a set of complete Mahler symphonies. However, owing to a curious naming-convention used by the poster, all the movements of all the symphonies were played in a "by name" / RANDOM order.
I took a long road trip from S Texas to Minnesota and back, listening to all of these MP3s. The SNAFU of the naming meant that it was entirely randoem as to the order of movements across the entire set of symphonies. This (for example) could mean you got THREE ADAGIOS in a row, or TWO FINALES!
To cut a long story short, the music was WONDERFUL and, as you said, particularly made the varied "nature" and landscapes I was passing through "come to life." Even though the symphonies were "dissected" and displaced from each other, the musical language worked incredibly well. What resulted, was a sort of 30-hour 33-movement "symphony" that actually "made sense."
I agree with you that Mahler's music -- and right about NOW this is MOST IMPORTANT -- "gives you faith" in nature and goodness . . . over all else.
That is so cool, thank you for sharing that!
My take from "worst" to best:
7 Bernstein/NYP
4 Szell/Cleveland
5 Chailly/ Concertbouw
1 Boulez/ CSO
6 Bernstein/Vienna Philarmonic
9 Abbado/ Vienna Philarmonic
8 Solti/CSO
3 Bernstein/NYP
2 Abbado/ CSO
Insanely great video!! I'm also in love with Mahler's music and here's my personal list (with the 10th):
10. Seventh symphony
9. Ninth symphony
8. Tenth symphony
7. Sixth symphony
6. Fourth symhony
5. First symphony
4. Eigth symphony
3. Fifth Symphony
2. Third Symphony
1. Second Symphony
It is really hard to rank them but I guess that's kind of it. The first work of Mahler I listened to was his first symphony but I realized quickly that his other symphonies are very different to his first (even though they are all great❤). I didn't listen to his ninth that much, that's why it is down in the list but in this summer, I will definetely listen to it again and I guess my opinion on this symphony will change! His seventh is still great but I liked other works more. We share the same top of our lists, his second, third and fifth symphony always makes me cry (the slow movements and finales). Great video and I hope I'll get to see more rankings!!🎉
First of all, thank you for the article. The wonderful thing is the attitude of all the people who love Gustav Mahler - each one with his personal love for this or that symphony.
Indeed, the three greatest are symphonies 2, 3, 5.
Luckily we have TH-cam and we can constantly hear and see great performances of Mahler's symphonies.
Thanks again
Great Video! I have to say I would have picked a different ranking, but its interesting to see how different you can feel about Mahler.
Funny how our ranks are pretty much inverted lol. And yet I'm sure it varies drastically from listener to listener. It speaks to the transcendence of his music - no front runner pieces, they're all single-handedly compelling and unique in their own way. As for me, the mature Mahler, beaten up by misfortune, speaks to me more than the young Mahler. And a testament to that is that if I include Das Lied and the Tenth they both would go straight into my top 5. All in all, my rank from most to least favourite and a reference recording:
7 - Abbado/Lucerne, Chailly/Gewandhaus
6 - Abbado/BPO (no contest)
9 - Abbado/BPO
5 - Saraste/WDR
4 - Abbado/Lucerne (no contest)
3 - Levine/CSO
2 - Bernstein/NYP (no contest)
8 - Tennstdet/LSO
1 - Tennstdet/CSO (no contest)
By the way Mahler 2 is in C Minor not major, great video, I share your massive enthusiasm for Mahler!
My fave is Mahler 3 mvt 6, which I will be playing this weekend
at any point, somewhere, a mahler symphony is still ending
When I saw the 7th as weakest, I was so sad. I absolutely love the 1st/3rd/5th movement. Absolutely amazing
1st mvt is my fav., especially Solti's Chicago recording with Bud playing the most perfect Trumpet lines ever.
Now 6th second weakest? Man, I'm so sad now lol. 6/7th are my favs
Second movement of #9 is the greatest movement Mahler ever wrote imo
Why didn’t you have Leonard Bernstein as at least one of your recommended recordings? I feel he overall understood Mahler better than anyone else, also he was one of the biggest reasons Mahler gain popularity.
Many of his recordings, especially the 60s New York Philharmonic recordings of 4 and 7, are still unparalleled in my opinion.
The DG 6th with the Vienna is the absolute best I’ve ever heard.
Because he can sometimes be over the top likely
@@pauforcadellcampos4452I prefer over the top to conductors who micromanage every little detail, resulting in boring performances
@@jg2977 I also don't like micromanagers, but it's not like those are the only two types of conductors
1. I agree about the 7th Symphony being the lowest on the list of favorites It has many beautiful moments, particularly in the middle movements, but the tonal exploration and prolonged dissonance in the outer movements unnerve me.
2. Unusual for Mahler since he took on such life and death issues when composing his symphonies, the 7th originally was conceived by him to be a light hearted, whimsical symphony, progressing from night into blazing sunlight. However, the turbulence of his personal life during the time of its composition overwhelmed him, including the death of a young daughter and its grievous effect on his wife. Subsequently I think this tragedy affected the character and quality of the 7th.
3. That said, the 7th is another example of enhanced Mahler appreciation linked to the autobiographical nature of his music. Some others:
A. The popular Adagietto of the 5th was inspired by his original infatuation with Alma Schindler who later became his wife.
B. He dedicated his mammoth 8th to Alma with its setting of Goethe's Faust ending in praise of the eternal feminine muse.
C. He scrawled a desperate note to Alma on the last page of his unfinished Tenth.
1. Thanks for the biographical timeline correction.
2. However, the Mahler Foundation article on the 7th states the following:
"The three years which elapsed between the completion of the score and the symphony's premiere witnessed dramatic changes in Mahler's life and career. In March 1907 he had resigned his conductorship of the Vienna State Opera, as the musical community in Vienna turned against him (which was why he chose Prague for the work's debut); on 12 July his first daughter died of scarlet fever; and, even as she lay on her deathbed, Mahler learned that he was suffering from an incurable heart condition. Musicologists surmise that this is why the optimism and cheerfulness of the symphony was subsequently tempered by the small but significant revisions Mahler made in the years leading up to its premiere."
[From the Mahler Foundation Org article /mahler/compositions/symphony-no-7/symphony-no-7-introduction/]
3. Therefore, if the Mahler Foundation article is to be believed, the death of the composer's first daughter was one of several life changing factors that played into his revision of the score after its original completion before her sudden death.
There is a little type at the very end. Mahler 2 is in C Minor, rather than C major. Great Vid though!
My favorite is 6th symphony.
I once met Mariss Jansons and asked him which of Mahler's symphonies was his favourite, and he said: 'ALL'.
#2 will always be my favourite, that truly epic ending, The Gustavo Dudamel proms recording you recommend is amazing, though i would also recommend Vladimir Jurowski with The LPO from 2011. #4 i just haven't really got with so remains in last place. the others (including the Cooke versions of X) i can't really choose between. Couple of observations though:
1: Many of the subtitles were not approved my Mahler, especially 'Tragic' and 'Symphony of the Night'. They were added by conductors and , in the case of #8, for publicity purposes. And 'Titan' was only used for a couple of performances when the piece was a 5 movement work
2: There is still a lot of debate as to the meaning of the ending of #9 with many questioning whether it was Mahler signifying his own death. Take the following section from an article:
" Mahler died in May 1911, without ever hearing his Ninth Symphony performed. The work's ending is usually interpreted as his conscious farewell to the world, as it was composed following the death of his beloved daughter Maria Anna in 1907 and the diagnosis of his fatal heart disease. However, this notion is disputed inasmuch as Mahler felt that he was in good health at the time of the composition of the Ninth Symphony; he had had a very successful season (1909-10) as the conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and, before that, the Metropolitan Opera (New York). In his last letters, Mahler indicated that he was looking forward to an extensive tour with the orchestra for the 1910-11 season. Moreover, Mahler worked on his unfinished Tenth Symphony until his death from endocarditis in May 1911."
3: #7's problem is generally thought to be how the opening and closing movements don't seem to match with the middle three 'night music' sections. It almost feels like he was working on two different pieces and tried to fit them together.
Beethoven would be super nice to see!
I recommend:
- 1st: Klaus Tennstedt/CSO
- 2nd & 6th: Bernstein New York
- 3rd: Abbado/Berlin
- 5th: Ozawa/BSO 5th
peak
My take would be
2, 3, 1, 5, 6, 9, 8, 4, 7
So far, at least. Sometimes the 2 is surpassed by others depending on the period, especially the 3rd that have the first movement that is simply mind-blowing. But overall the 2nd will always be my most loved piece of work ever
Here's my ranking. I mostly agree with yours, but there are a few big changes.
10: No.5. I've never understood why this is his most popular, it's certainly a brilliantly crafted symphony but to me this has always felt the least special of Mahler's symphonies.
9: No.7. This is definitely the most misunderstood of his symphonies, with very few great recordings out there. I never really got it until I listened to the right performances. I think the problem is that people view Mahler as a composer of epic, serious symphonies, which is true for the most part but the 7th needs to be played very differently or it will just feel underwhelming. I think the 7th has the most unique emotional arc of Mahler's symphonies: the first few movements are dark, shadowy, twisted and nihilistic, while the finale is full of simple, deliberately over-the-top joy, taking pure pleasure in the simple things. The finale has to be played humorously, in my opinion far too many conductors try to play it like it's something glorious and transcendent like the 2nd and 8th. Very few recordings come close to Bernstein's first performance with the New York Philharmonic, I believe recorded in 1966.
8: No.6
7: No.1
6: No.10 (Cooke completion). I don't normally agree with completions, but I think this is perhaps the one exception because Mahler wrote a continuous sketch from beginning to end so we know what his overall vision was. Despite having some small issues that Mahler no doubt would have fixed had he lived longer, I really love this symphony because it has some of the emotional passages in all of Mahler's music, especially in the finale. I love that unlike the 9th this symphony ends with a peaceful farewell after a long journey of suffering. If Mahler had lived to finish this I think it would be one of his best symphonies.
5: No.4. I love this for similar reasons to you. As well as the joyous parts I love the dream-like sense of mystery that's in every movement.
4: No.8. One of the reasons a lot of people don't like it is that it's the least personal of Mahler's symphonies, but I think it's part of the design. It's meant to be cosmic in scale.
3: No.3. Brilliant for all the reasons you mentioned. It's just incredible that he could write the longest symphony in the standard repertoire and have it be so consistently engaging throughout the entire thing. I saw this live a few months ago and it didn't at all feel like 1 hour and 40 minutes had passed.
2: No.9. One of the most emotional pieces of music ever written. When you see this live it has a completely unique atmosphere at the end as orchestra very slowly fades away.
1: No.2 There's just nothing like the experience of seeing this live, the last few minutes is just overwhelming. One of the best passages in all of music.
@@laurentcompagna6166 Thanks, I will have a listen to it. The main recording I've been listening to is Karajan/Berlin. Karajan wasn't usually much of a Mahler person, but in my opinion his recording of the 5th, and the 9th as well, are excellent. What's your opinion on it?
I‘m using Parker‘s 100 point system.
1st 92
2nd 91
3rd 91
4th 90
5th 95
6th 95
7th 95
8th 89
9th 94
Wait… what did you mean with Das lied von der erde?
He has 10 symphonies and the 10th is the best in many ways I don't care he could not finish its orchestration it doesn't mean x symphony is not original.
My rating
Starting at 10 ( called symphonies) to the best
Seven
One
Five
Six
Four
Ten
Two
Eight
Three
Nine
Das Lied Von Der Erde - Das Lied the greatest of them all
And ! - Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekomen
I would rank it, 2, 3, 1, 6, 5, 9, 8, 4, 7. However you could switch up the ranking other then top 2 and bottom 2
La octava, trata de escuchar la versión de Bertini o Wit.
This is my ranking:
10. no.8
9. no.5
8. no.1
7. no. 4
6. no. 3
5. no. 10
4. no. 7
3. no.6
2. no.9
1. no. 2
My least favorite symphony is the 8th, and even then its still a masterpiece, its finale wasnt quite as impactful to me as his 2nd, for me the symphony is all large scale epicness, while his second has progression to it, but his 8th is till amazing, now that shows you got a good composers on your hands.
Check out Antoni Wit’s recording with Warsaw Phil especially its last two tracks may change your mind about the 8th.
Maybe overall i prefer the 2nd, but the finale of the 8th is much more impactful to me.
Great analysis but a little triggered but some of the ranking you did😅
So, "worst to best" is wrong, since it concerns personal preferences. Least beloved to most loved would be better...
29:39
Mahler is just not held in high enough regard in the names that are considered 'the great composers' I didnt even know who Mahler was until I was 17 and i had been living at a music school for 2 years. I dont know why people just dont talk about him. He is genuinely in my opinion an equal to Beethoven
The Mahler symphony that I listen to the least is the 4th, but mainly because I’m a trombonist and the 4th has no low brass. I still think it’s great though, and I do give it a listen every now and then.
Sorry, but the tenth symphony should have been included, even if you feel that there are some things are not there. I would suggest reading Deryck Cooke's extensive notes to understand that his version, along with the other ten performing editions which range from leaving the draft as he left it to outright speculative completion that could be deemed as over-the-top, shows a draft that is primarily complete in its structural concept from first note to last save some inner voicing, counterpoint and, in the case of the final two movements, orchestration. In this sense, Das Lied and the Ninth are also deemed incomplete since Mahler, painstaking perfectionist that he was, would have refined these two pieces in many ways had he lived to complete the Tenth. It leads us into a new dimension the composer was totally envisioning.
Symphony of a Thousand is not Mahler’s nickname for the 8th. For most performances they might have around 400 performers. Once again, Mahler did not coin this phrase.
ranking mahler 6 8th means your opeinions are automatically invalid
Before the world knew it needed more cowbell, there was the hammer.
0:03 Adrien Brody?!?!?!
That was the actor Robert Powell. He played Mahler in Ken Russell's film.
I don't the Mahler symphonies need be ranked, thanks.
I thought you would like it best.
No.2 : Very dramatic. But perhaps it has many lovers and haters because it seems a kind of religious.
No.9 : Beautiful farewell poem.
N0.1 & 5 : Yes, accesible.
N0.3 : 1st mvt. is great but it is enough. Full performance is too long for me.
All the rest : Not accesible.
Ranking the unrankable.
The only thing for sure is No.2 is heavily overrated and is outshone by "Das Lied" and No.9. ;)
What are your credentials? I ask because I am wondering why anyone would care what you think?
This is TH-cam, not a scientific journal
@@Kyle-ur4mr Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot.
I very much enjoyed your video. I share your love of and enthusiasm for Mahler's music, especially Nos. 2, 3 and 8. My favorite recording of the 3rd is still Levine/Chicago, with Marilyn Horne as contralto soloist. For my money no one has ever nailed that final Adagio like Levine. I would love to hear your take on Shostakovich's symphonies. For me he's been a very tough nut to crack.
Mozart...baby steps 😆 😆 😆 This entire commentary is very insipid.
Stop tip toe-ing around when you rank things. We get it; not a single one is bad but you prefer some over others. We get it; don't have to repeat that 10 times otherwise don't bother ranking,.
I feel like Mahler is very repetitive. I think the first is original and the fifth is good, the rest is more of the same.