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 [log in to unmask]