I really need to join this thread. Long list of favorite classical stuff. Hopefully I've got sometime soon to make a list.
Ditto. I can't believe this thread has gotten to 2 pages without my even knowing it existed.
Re: Mahler, many people find his work pretty dense and intimidating, particularly the latter symphonies, but I think most people who say they don't like him are just put off by his reputation, or some just haven't made the effort. My wife is a good example. She claims she finds the 1st symphony "inaccessible." The first, can you believe that? It's about as mainstream as you can get. I will admit, I haven't ventured much beyond the 3rd myself, at least not in depth, but I just haven't had the time. Yeah, that's it. Time.