Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Sheet Music and Program Notes

Mahler was an Austrian composer of the Romantic period.  He was considered one of the great conductors of his generation.  His musical style is a cross between Romanticism of the 19th century and modern music of the early 20th century.  He graduated from the Vienna Conservatory and became director of the Vienna Court Opera.  Toward the end of his conductinr career he served as conductor for the New York Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic.

Mahler's music became popular after 1945 and is today one of the most performed and recorded of all composers.

Gustav Mahler 7 July 1860was an Austrian-Jewish composer and conductor of the late Romantic period. He is best known for his ten symphonies, which are some of the longest and most challenging works in the symphonic repertoire.

Mahler was born in Kališt?, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), to a Jewish family. He studied music at the Vienna Conservatory, where he was a student of Franz Liszt. After graduating from the Conservatory, Mahler began conducting in various opera houses in Europe.

In 1897, Mahler was appointed conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He held this position for ten years, during which time he made the Vienna Philharmonic one of the finest orchestras in the world. Mahler was also a prolific composer, and he wrote ten symphonies, along with numerous songs, choral works, and chamber music.

Mahler's music is characterized by its emotional intensity, its use of folk and religious themes, and its large-scale structure. His symphonies are often seen as a reflection of his own personal struggles, including his troubled childhood, his difficult marriage, and his own mortality.

Mahler's music was not well-received during his lifetime. His symphonies were considered too long, too complex, and too challenging for audiences. However, his music has since been rediscovered and is now considered to be among the most important works of the late Romantic period.

Mahler died of a heart attack in Vienna in 1911. He was only 50 years old.