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The main thing we love about Mahler is his commitment to going big, and when we say big, we mean his colossal works of music in size, sound, and emotion. Mahler once said, “A symphony should be like the world. It must contain everything.” While his First Symphony certainly contains a heck of a lot, we love this piece because it not only broadens perceptions of what classical music is, it also provides a big ol’ dose of catharsis.

 

Listen to full episode :

 

Suggested recordings of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1:

Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam conducted by Leonard Bernstein - available on Spotify and Youtube

San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas - available on Spotify and Apple Music

*sadly, the Abbado and Lucerne Festival Orchestra Youtube recording referenced in the episode has since been taken down. We recommend checking out Abbado conducting the Berlin Philharmonic instead.