Wagner

Not at all - as I said that's exactly what I did. I probably first encountered the Dutchman and Tannhauser overtures, then the Funeral March and Prelude and Liebestod (without any warbling), then on to Strauss' tone poems, Bruckner 4+7 and Mahler 2+9, next to Strauss' 4 last songs, Salome and then Elektra - and only then was ready for the Ring and Tristan.

Of course Wagner has a completely different sound colouration from Strauss - more dark and golden rather than the latter's bright and silvery, and Mahler is chamber music for 140+ instruments.

 

I still quite often listen to the Prelude and Liebestod on their own, without the warbling Actually, it was a long time before I could accept the singing over the top of the Liebestod at all!

I used to be able to play the Liszt piano transcription of the Prelude and Liebestod aswell (well, more or less ). There was a time when I preferred it to the orchestral version :yikes:

Michael.