For Mahler, I will recommend the cycles of Tennstedt and Bertini. Between them you will find excellent versions of all the symphonies, though I would add Karajan's 5th as well.
For Bruckner, none of the cycles I've heard have satisfied. When choosing recordings, I'd advise steering clear of ponderous "transcendental" tempos. When it comes to the quagmire of dealing with multiple editions of the individual works, the later versions are usually better (the exception being the 1st); the early ones appeal chiefly to old listeners due to novelty, their ears having staled on the more widely known versions.
I am trying to "get into" Bruckner and Mahler but have not had much luck. I usually like Late Romantic composers like Strauss, Wagner, and Rachmaninov, but I have had trouble with these two. Mahler seems scatterbrained and stylistically all over the place, and Bruckner feels rather dour and dull.
I was wondering if anyone could give suggestions about good works/recordings I could use to increase my experience with these composers, because I feel like based on their popularity, I should be able to enjoy their music. Thanks
-Noah
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