Tony Duggan wrote concerning Mahler's symphonies:

>I always advise the 1st first and then take them in order.  The 4th
>is a lot more complex than it seems.

Granted, but it's also a symphony that has abundant surface attractions
which can be highly enjoyed upon initial hearing.

I may be out in left field here, but I see the 1st more as a romantic than
late-romantic work, and therefore, less representative of Mahler than his
4th which I loved immediately upon first hearing.

Don Satz
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