Like Ian Foster, I, too, am flabberghasted that so many on this list dislike Brahms' symphonies--C'mon, there's a lot about the Mahler symphonies that "off-put" me but I would never say I dislike them! "De gustibus non est disputandum"--"There's no disputing tastes"--but at least people on this list should recognize good, solid, musical craftsmanship! For me, Brahms perfectly wedded a craftsmanship and architecture equal (or at least close) to that of J.S. Bach, but enriched by his own, unique, soaring ecstacies. Rob Baldwin [log in to unmask]