One of the difficulties, for me, in relying on any recommendations expressed in a thread such as this is that I've usually no idea on what sort of critical basis the writer bases a recommendation. It often seems to boil down to "I like this one but I don't like that one."
I would like to have it explained,for instance, what makes the versions of Tennstedt and Bertini so excellent and why the first edition of Mahler's 1st symphony is superior to the later ones.
A lot of the recordings you will see recommended are anathema to me, and often seem to be recommended only because listeners imprinted on them when young.
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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