Gustav Mahler was born on July 7, 1860 in Kalištì in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (today in Czechia), as the second of twelve children of a Jewish family. He was a famous Bohemian-Austrian composer.
Biography and Career :
The family moved to Iglau, Moravia where Gustav Mahler spent the childhood.
His parents remarked his talent and at the age of six he took piano lessons.
In 1875 he was admitted to the Vienna Conservatoire at the age of fifteen and three years later to Vienna University where studied history, philosophy and music.
He participated in a contest with his first work the cantata "Das klagende Lied" but didn't win a prize.
In 1880 he started his career and had a job as conductor at a summe
r theatre at Bad Hall.
Next years he had jobs in Ljubljana in 1881, Olomouc in 1882, Vienna in 1883, Kassel in 1884, Prague in 1885, Leipzig in 1886 and Budapest in 1888.
He was offered the job as director of the Vienna Opera, the most prestigious musical position in the Austrian Empire. There he did a great job and contributed at its prestige and worked only nine months per year. During the spring time he was composing.
Mahler married Alma Schindler on March 9, 1902 and they had two daughters, Maria Anna, who passed away at the age of five, and Anna, who later became a sculptor.
The same year he discovered he suffered from a heart disease, infective endocarditis.
In 1908 he was offered a job at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
When Gustav Mahler returned to Europe he discovered Alma was cheating on him and went to see Sigmund Freud.
He and his family went to USA and there he felt very ill. During his last concert he had high fever.
They returned to Europe and on May 18, 1911 he passed away.
Important Works :
1884–1888 "Symphony No. 1 in D major"
1888–1894 "Symphony No. 2 in C minor"
1893–1896 "Symphony No. 3 in D minor"
1892, 1899–1900 "Symphony No. 4 in G major"
1901–1902 "Symphony No. 5"
1903–1904 "Symphony No. 6 in A minor"
1904–1905 "Symphony No. 7"
1906–1907 "Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major"
1908–1909 "Symphony No. 9"
1910–1911 "Symphony No. 10 in F-sharp minor" (unfinished)
1880 "Das klagende Lied"
1880 "Drei Lieder, three songs for tenor and piano"
1880–1890 "Lieder und Gesänge", fourteen songs with piano accompaniment
1883–1885 "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen"
1888–1896 "Lieder aus "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" ("The Youth's Magic Horn")
1901–1902 "Rückert Lieder", for voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment
1901–1904 "Kindertotenlieder" ("Songs on the Death of Children"), for voice and orchestra
Quotes :
- "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music."
- "A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything."
- "If you think you're boring your audience, go slower not faster."
Trivia :
- Between 1891-1897 he stayed at the Hamburg Opera.
- He moved in June 1901 into a mansion on the lake in Maiernigg, Carinthia. Gustav Mahler Image : npr.org
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Gustav Mahler was born on July 7, 1860 in Kalištì in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (today in Czechia), as the second of twelve children of a Jewish family. He was a famous Bohemian-Austrian composer.