This was a long week. It was so busy at work, and we were shorthanded some of the nights. I've pretty much just been trying to make it through OK. Thank goodness it is now the weekend!

I've been exploring the symphonic works of Gustaf Mahler since hearing his Fifth Symphony at the New York Philharmonic concert a couple of months ago. The Fifth is a wonderful piece of music, possibly my favorite classical piece after some of Beethoven's symphonies. It starts with death and its effects on a loving survivor, moves on into acceptance, and finally back into life and tentative joy. It also has wonderful harp and horn solos.

The First ("Titan") is what I've been compulsively listening again and again to over the last week or so. The version I have is filled with energy, joy, and great hornplaying by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez.

The Second ("Ressurection") is an extremely intense piece of music. While I love it, I can't listen to it very often due to its sheer emotional intensity. Another one dealing with death and its aftermath, though this one deals with the deceased person and what happens to his/her soul.

The Third drove me nuts. The version I have has a rather uneven sound quality. I had tried to listen to it while driving, and even when I turned my stereo up very high, I had to strain to even hear some parts, while being alternately blasted with other parts. I have heard good things about the Bernstein versions, and I think I might try to track one of those down. He certainly did a great job with the Fifth that I have.

I also have the Sixth, which I have been told is even more intense than the Second. It's another from the conductor Boulez, who did such a wonderful job on the First with the CSO. But I've been listening to the First so much, I haven't listened to it yet!