Mahler vs. Strauss

Interesting question! As for the music itself, the short version is that I admire Strauss, but I adore Mahler. This emotional distinction may color my judgement on the sonic differences as well, but I’ll try to be as objective as I possibly can.

According to the experts Strauss had few peers as a orchestrator. But to my ears his arrangements are often very dense and saturated, some would even say perfumed. Although I must make an exception for the expressionist Elektra, an exceptional work in every way. Somehow his music doesn’t sit well with audio reproduction in the home and the sound stage easily gets ’clogged’. However in the concert hall even his most densely orchestrated pieces work very well, perhaps because there’s simply more room for the music to breathe.

Mahlers orchestrations are usually more ventilated and the huge forces required for his symphonies are used sparingly. Apparently the home system can more easily cope with that, perhaps because it gets the opportunity to ’catch its breath’. Of course when all hell breaks loose (or the heavens burst open), no home system can ever hope to reproduce the impact it has in the concert hall. This is an experience like nothing else. Very hard to put into words, but very easy to recall. Like that one time I heard the 6th in Vienna by the VPO, especially the finale. Just thinking about it brings me the shivers.....

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.