Favourite moments in a Mahler symphony

[Bonehelm]

Too many for me; the horn calls in the finale of the 1st symphony, the choir and organ entry at the end of the 2nd, the 8 horn unison beginning of the 3rd, the funereal trumpet solo of the 5th, the blazing "veni creator spiritus" opening of the 8th...

[val]

The 3rd movement of the First Symphony.

The extraordinary first movement of the 2nd and the Urlicht.

The two Nachtmusik of the 7th.

The 4th movement of the 9th.

Regarding the Symphonies 4 and 6, I think they are the most perfect works of Mahler, every moment is remarkable.

[Gustav]

when the dark, misty opening gives away to the major melody in the first movement of the "Titan".

[BachQ]

Sym 2 mvt 1

[Ephemerid]

The opening of the first movement of the 9th.

The adagietto of the 5th.

Still haven't really clicked with Mahler yet, but I'll get there one day. 

[Mark G. Simon]

The hammer blows

[Mark G. Simon]

The very quiet delicate moment in the 8th just before the "Chorus mysticus", scored for piano, harp, celesta, piccolo, muted brass. Nothing he wrote is so magical as this.

[Keemun]

Symphony No. 2, First and Fifth movements

Symphony No. 9, First and Fourth movements

[greg]

1) the chorus finale of the 2nd, most magical moments in all of music, the ascension into heaven.

2) the finale of the 9th, with the strings that literally SCREAM, and then eventually fade out into a nearly 4-min. exposition of quietness, the cold embrace of death and farewell to life.

3) various moments in the outer movements of the 10th....... the intro from the violas that come from the chamber of darkness, leading into the full string section that announces the arrival into the afterlife.....
the last movement, with the pounding bass drum solo, which leads into a lonely flute solo, music constantly moving into unfulfilled and desperate longing, finally ending up screaming the 8-note dischord foreshadowed in the 1st movement. Ends in quiet acceptance of eternal solitude, loss, and unfulfillment.

[Papy Oli]

My personal favourites :

- 2nd Symphony, 1st movement : The massive decrescendo about 14 minutes in.
- 2nd Symphony, last movement : when the choir joins in the "O Glaube"
- 2nd symphony : the Urlicht
- 2nd symphony :" Der Grosse Appell" in the 5th movement

- 3rd Symphony, 4th Movement : the soloist's entry with "O Mensch"

- 4th Symphony, 4th movement : all of it.

- 1st symphony : the thunderous intro of the 4th movement.

- when i hopefully unexpectedly will go "wow" on the 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th, whenever those works may "click"

[Michel]

Sense of directionless in 9th sym first mov

[techniquest]

Symphony No.1: That bit near the end of the first movement when the horns do the 'whoops'!
Symphony No.5: The opening of movement 1 which in a matter of a couple of minutes goes from optimistic fanfare to the darkest depths of despair.
Symphony No.3: the opening of movement 3 is just magical; it is a fairy woodland....Also the oboe and cor anglais 'glissandi' in movement 4, all of movement 1....Damn, everything about the 3rd symphony is wondrous.
Symphony No.2: the closing pages - when done properly, which is rare - must surely be among the greatest moments in all music. Similar for No.8.