OK, if I get any takers on this, I'll be shocked, but here goes:

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) is my all time favorite "classical" composer (specifically, he was "late romantic" rather than "classical" but that's college talk). He did long works for large orchestras, often with parts for voices and instruments not usually used in a symphony orchestra (such as cathedral organ, guitar, sleigh bells, cowbells--I kid you not--and mandolin). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone around here liked his work enough to pick favorites...so here's a poll to find out.

"The Song of the Earth"... but Symphonies 5 and 9 are splendid too... difficult question, eh?

Wow...someone other than me around here actually has an opinion! I'm thrilled...

I absolutely love all his symphonies, but No. 2 ("The Resurrection") is my favorite music ever created.

Do you own recordings of all his symphonies, Hugo? If not, which ones are you most familiar with?

I'm most familiarized to the 1th, 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th symphonies (and I own recordings of them) - and, of course, The Song of the Earth. What I really like in Mahler's work is its density, it touches your body before it touches your mind, know what I mean? It's the same kind of thing I feel hearing medieval music or John Cage's works. Even if I haven't a brain, it would catch my body...

Hmmm...that's an interesting concept. I'm not sure I totally get what you're saying, but I will say this much. Mahler's music does affect my emotions in a way that much other classical music does not do, regardless of how "deeply" I listen to it.

I love symphony 9 very much.

MarMin, I noticed that you listed Mahler among your 5 favorite composers on another thread. Are you familiar with all his symphonies?

My english isn't good, but I guess we're talking aboute the same sensation, Reverend... fortunately, music is an universal language.

i love the 4th symphony, especially the last movement. i also love the 3rd, which i have on a two disc set conducted by leonard bernstein. it's excellent. included on these discs is 3 ruckert leider, das irdische leben, and the kindertoten leider, which is my favorite work by mahler of all. as for the 4th symphony, i have a recording of fritz reiner conducting. the sound is amazing, unfortunately, i forget the process they used to remaster it, but it sounds great. expensive though. i payed over $40 for that thing.

i know what you're talking about, the density of it. i get the same from shoenberg and ives.