Your Top 5 Mahler Movements - Poll!

[madaboutmahler]

Thought it would be a fun and an interesting idea to find out the average top 5 Mahler movements of our GMG community!
Get voting!

What a lovely long poll this is...
I shall start off and vote for... (this is rather hard for me....)... no.1 m4, no.6 m1+4, no.8 part 2, no.9 m4.
That took me a long time to work out... I love all the Mahler movements!

Looking forward to seeing some results.

[Lisztianwagner]

Very interesting question, but a very hard choice as well! 

I voted for No.1 1st & 2nd movement, No.6 1st movement, No.8 part1 and No.9 4th movement.
I would have liked to include the Trauermarsch and Scherzo from No.5 too......

[madaboutmahler]

Very interesting question, but a very hard choice as well! 

I voted for No.1 1st & 2nd movement, No.6 1st movement, No.8 part1 and No.9 4th movement.
I would have liked to include the Trauermarsch and Scherzo from No.5 too......

Yes, certainly is a rather hard question to answer!
Nice choices, I love the first movement of no.1 as well, so naturual and beautiful. But I just had to vote for the finale to no.6 instead, so powerful... So many other movements I would have wanted to vote for as well!

[AnthonyAthletic]

Difficult, yep 

A lot of my choices are personal as I love everything written by Mahler.

Sym No.1 - 1st Mvt (Doesn't get any happier than this!!)
Sym No.2 - 5th Mvt (Joyous, uplifting wether you are religious, a believer or not)
Sym No.4 - 3rd Mvt ('Ruhevoll' (always found the opening 5 mins of this movement very sad, personally))
Sym No.5 - 4th Mvt ('Adagietto' (simple, effective, bit of love for strings...)) I prefer the 10 to 12 minute drawn out versions.
Sym No.9 - 5th Mvt (What a finale, if the 2nd symphony is uplifting, this brings the world down as we fade away to nothingness, purely amazing).

[madaboutmahler]

Difficult, yep 

A lot of my choices are personal as I love everything written by Mahler.

Sym No.1 - 1st Mvt (Doesn't get any happier than this!!)
Sym No.2 - 5th Mvt (Joyous, uplifting wether you are religious, a believer or not)
Sym No.4 - 3rd Mvt ('Ruhevoll' (always found the opening 5 mins of this movement very sad, personally))
Sym No.5 - 4th Mvt ('Adagietto' (simple, effective, bit of love for strings...)) I prefer the 10 to 12 minute drawn out versions.
Sym No.9 - 5th Mvt (What a finale, if the 2nd symphony is uplifting, this brings the world down as we fade away to nothingness, purely amazing).

Nice choices! Thank you for giving your reasons as well, I was too lazy to do that. An excellent statement about the finale to no.9, such an amazing piece...

[Lisztianwagner]

I just had to vote for the finale to no.6 instead, so powerful...

I perfectly understand, I really love the finale of Mahler No.6 as well, it's very intense and thrilling!

You could also add Das Lied von der Erde in the list; it is true that it is not part of the Mahler Cycle, but theorically it is considered a symphony.

[Sergeant Rock]

Symphony 1 - 3 (the movement that made Mahler Mahler)

Symphony 2 - 1

Symphony 3 - 1

Symphony 4 - 3

Symphony 6 - 3 (Andante)


Sarge

[madaboutmahler]

Symphony 1 - 3 (the movement that made Mahler Mahler)

Symphony 2 - 1

Symphony 3 - 1

Symphony 4 - 4

Symphony 6 - 3 (Andante)


Sarge

Thanks for voting, Sarge. Excellent choices. I feel guilty about leaving out all of those you mention!

[Papy Oli]

only 5 picks ? ... grrrrrrrr.... !!!   


Mahler 1 - 4th mvt - my original gateway into Mahler

Mahler 2 - 1st mvt - my absolute addiction...the benchmark movement by which all cycles and versions are judged.

Mahler 3 - 4th mvt - O Meeeeensch...

Mahler 5 - 1st mvt - The trumpet...

mahler 6 - 1st mvt - backup addiction, just in case.

[Marc]

Das Lied von der Erde should be part of it. It was meant to be a symphony.

4-4
Had to pick at least one movement from my fave symphony: I opted for the comforting and uplifting finale (Elly Ameling my fave soprano in this one), although in fact I like all four movements in an almost equal way.

5-3
This horn concerto has amazed me since the first hearing. Of course, the trumpet and drum rolls of the Trauermarsch are impressive, but musically this Scherzo takes me to .... dunno really. Heard this piece live once in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw: such a great experience.

6-4
One of the most impressive finales I've heard. This constantly trying to rush on the Olympus, and being denied again and again. I must admit that I don't listen to this as often as I should. Or maybe just often enough.

7-1
Even though there are no vocals: it's Mahler complete. Nuff said.

9-1
The universe at the edge of dying, yet resisting with all its might. Great intense movement. Leaves me exhausted every time.

[mc ukrneal]

Unexpectedly, I voted for 4 first movements: 3,5,7, and 8. And then it was between the first of #2 and the #5 Adagietto. I went for the adagietto. It was the #2 that really captured my interest in Mahler before I really started to listen to his symphonies. But the adagietto always reminds me of Inspector Morse. Maybe a silly association, but there you have it.

[Philip Legge]

2: III (In ruhig fließender Bewegung)
— Even more so than the Scherzo of the First, this is the archetypal Mahlerian Scherzo (and I especially love the collage version of it in Berio's Sinfonia)

5: II (Stürmish bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz)
— Brilliant decision to ratchet up the tension, and make the first movement funeral march even more emphatic. Also for its brilliant climax where the brass chorale surfaces for the first time in the work.

8: I. Teil: Veni, creator spiritus
— Perfect adaptation of sonata form and choral symphony. Chuck in the "Isoliert postiert" at the end of the work and send the choir further up into stratosphere for the win.

9: II. (Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers)
— Capturing all the sardonic, cynical, jaded, relaxed, humorous, pensive and angry moods of Mahler by turns, while showing off brilliant orchestration as always...

9: III. (Rondo-Burleske. Allegro assai. Sehr trotzig)
— ... followed by a truly remarkable exhibition of all Mahler's compositional power.

And the first Scherzo from the Tenth (10: II) would edge out the corresponding movement of the Second, had the pollster been considerate enough to include all of the movements (and Das Lied von der Erde, as another commenter mentioned).

[ibanezmonster]

2- I, V
6- IV
9- I, IV


Man, other than the two from 9, deciding was extremely hard, and pretty much would depend on the day.
If anything, this can give us a clue to what people here's favorite movement might be overall... so far, the opening of the 7th. 

[TheGSMoeller]

Symphony No. 2 - movement VI, "Urlicht" - with or without the rest of symphony, "Urlicht" is one of the loveliest five minutes you could experience.

Symphony No. 3 - movement I - on its own is longer than Beethoven's 5th, and displays Mahler's ability to punch the listener in the face with a wall of sound. Might also contain classical music's best trombone solo, or at least the most "want to be played" solo, or so I've been told.

Symphony No. 4 - movement III - if you ever needed a soundtrack for "reflecting on life", this may be the piece. Sublime.

Symphony No. 7 - movement III, Scherzo - Fun, that just about sums it up, pure fun.

Symphony No. 9 - movement I - for all the love that the finale of No.9 gets, some of that love must be given to the road that brought our emotions to this point. It's sad, it's optimistic, it's ethereal, it's Mahler. Dare I say the best of the best?

[mszczuj]

Symphony No.9 mvt 1 - my absolutely favorite

Symphony No.9 mvt 4
Symphony No.3 mvt 6
Symphony No.7 mvt 2
Symphony No.10 Adagio

Alas there was no posibility to vote for Der Abschied.

[offbeat]

Mahler 6 (1) A grinding tour de force with alternate longing
            6 (3) For me the most heart rending movement in all Mahler
             7 (1) Over the top perhaps but very exciting
             9 (1) Mahler bearing his inner soul - so moving
             9 (3) Crazy and angry and mind blowing

[springrite]

Outer movements of 9
Last movement of 6
Last movement of 7
First movement of 1

[North Star]

Sadly I only know the fifth, but there are five brilliant movements in that one alone.

[Marc]

Symphony No.9 mvt 1 - my absolutely favorite

Symphony No.9 mvt 4
Symphony No.3 mvt 6
Symphony No.7 mvt 2
Symphony No.10 Adagio

Alas there was no posibility to vote for Der Abschied.

Good choices. (If I may say so.)
And I share your feelings about 'Der Abschied'.

[Marc]

Sadly I only know the fifth, but there are five brilliant movements in that one alone.

Yep.

And you know what: who knows what kinds of expierences may lie ahead, with 8 (or 9) symphonies yet to discover.