Saturday night, I heard some real music - Mahler's 2nd Symphony - and I liked it! The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra along with a 100+ voice choir and two soloists played, and it was wonderful.
Over a year ago, I heard Mahler's 9th symphony and really didn't like it. It was so complex and busy that a simple listener like me couldn't get my head around it. So this time I was wary about Mahler, but not ready to give up on him yet. A friend who is a musician, whose opinion I respect, says Mahler's 2nd and 5th symphonies are excellent.
The 2nd and 9th symphonies are completely different. The 2nd is melodic and hypnotic. I got deeply involved in it. Only one thing was the same. They are both very long - no intermission. Mahler evidently wrote music for people who have strong bladders or wear depends.
