Mahler vs. Strauss

Edgewear,

I completely concur
with your observations!

Interestingly, many years ago I had a totally different stereo setup, much less revealing, not as high end, but perhaps a little fuller. I had two small speakers in the rear of the room with a Lafayette device
to pick up ambient sound. It was in a smaller room than I listen in now.
On that set Strauss sounded marvelous, somehow, if not as sound staged, more imposing. It completely filled the smaller room with sound.
I miss that “Strauss room.”

I never warmed to Richard Strauss. Even though he stated that he could describe a teaspoon through music, I find it hard to listen to. Add to that fact that he was a deadbeat and anti-Semite, I would rather concentrate on other composers.

Aren’t you confusing herr Strauss with Wagner?
Strauss was apolitical and collaborated with Jewish musicians. He did not join the Nazi party, but to keep his career and family safe he did not speak out against them. Very similar situation as Furtwängler.
Strauss fell out of favour with Hitler because of his working with Jews and his daughter was married to a Jew (which I’m sure was kept secret). Strauss then spent the rest of the war with his family under house arrest.

Now, Wagner was a real dirtbag and anti semite.

To put it very briefly, their orchestrations deriving from their manner of thematic composition are very different.  Strauss, more of a Wagnerian with (relatively) simple broad themes.  Mahler is often though of as composing chamber music for his large orchestra.

@lowrider57 ,
Yes, you are correct. My bad...
B