
Gustav Mahler
Country of origin:
Austria
Birthday:
July 7, 1860
Date of death:
May 18, 1911
About Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer and conductor, important conductor and symphonic composer of the Late Romantic era.
Life:
Mahler studied at the Vienna Conservatoire with Robert Fuchs (*1847, 1927), among others, and privately with Anton Bruckner. After conducting posts at Bad Hall, Laibach, Olmutz, Vienna and Kassel he took the post of second conductor at the Deutsches Landestheater in Prague in 1885 and in 1886 took the same position in Leipzig where he directed the Leipzig Opera for half a year (standing in for Arthur Nikisch). In 1888 he became director of the Budapest Opera and in 1891 chief conductor at the Hamburg Stadttheater. In 1897 he worked as a guest conductor in Poland and Russia, among others. The very same year Mahler first became conductor, then director of the Vienna Court Opera which he led to artistic heights unattained until then. From 1898-1901 he also conducted the Philharmonic Concerts. In 1902 he married Alma Maria Schindler (Mahler-Werfel, Alma). In autumn 1907 Mahler became conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York and in 1909 was also appointed musical director of the New York Philharmonic Society.
Work:
As a conductor, Mahler had a determining influence on Willem Mengelberg, Bruno Walter and Otto Klemperer, among others, due to his orchestral discipline and the strict faithfulness of his interpretations to the respective original work. In his capacity as opera director, he introduced numerous innovations, such as concentrated rehearsal work with singers and choir. Especially in collaboration with the painter and graphic designer Alfred Roller, he even achieved a fundamental reform of the scenic presentation and a new unity of production, setting and musical interpretation. Mahler also re-arranged several works (e.g. Carl Maria von Weber's operas »The Three Pintos«, »Euryanthe« and »Oberon« as well as Mozart's »Le nozze di Figaro«) to increase their theatrical effectiveness.
In his songs Mahler musically carried on where Schumann in particular had left off. Until 1899 he mainly used texts from the anthology »Des Knaben Wunderhorn« edited by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano, then poems by Friedrich Rückert as a literary basis. The melody is characterized by a tendency toward dramatic expressiveness, the accompaniment by a symbolically and psychologically nuanced quality of expression, with folksong-like simplicity being closely combined with a strong differentiation. Many songs are available in versions for piano and for orchestra.
The close connection between song and symphonic work in Mahler's oeuvre shows in the fact that he incorporated songs into his first symphonies (even as instrumental transformation), e.g. »Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen« into Symphony No. 1 and »Wunderhorn-Lieder« into Symphonies Nos. 2-4. Whereas the instrumental technique connected with the lied goes back to Schubert, the incorporation of vocal parts into the symphony (apart from Symphonies No. 1-4 also into Symphony No. 8) and into »Lied von der Erde« refers to Beethoven (Symphony No. 9). The widening of the individual movements of the symphonies, the expansion of the symphonic framework to seven movements, the structure of the dynamic scherzo movements and the affective intensifications in the concluding cadences of the movements are reminiscent of Bruckner. In the programmatic explanations that Mahler included with some of his symphonies, he took up a line of development which can be traced back to Hector Berlioz's programme music. Even though Mahler withdrew these explanations later, they nevertheless refer to the philosophical and confessional character of his music which is characterized by a combination of quite different stylistic elements.
The melody ranges from folksong-like, simple phrases which sometimes deliberately do not shy away from banality, often as a contrast to more dramatic sections and, as such, of only feigned »naivety«, to highly elaborate shapes, from lyrical restraint to high emotionalism which can be commented on with irony. As regards the harmony, traditional diatonicism is juxtaposed with polyphonic and fugal passages, pentatonic scales and chromatic part-writing to the limits of atonality. The subtle instrumentation does justice both to the monumental nature of the symphonies (particularly of the "Symphony of a Thousand") and to the chamber music style of the late oeuvre. Many of these heterogenous features prove Mahler's compositions to be works of a transitional period between Romanticism and avant-garde. Not only do they refer back to tradition, they also strongly influenced harmonic and melodic means of New Music (especially Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern).
Life:
Mahler studied at the Vienna Conservatoire with Robert Fuchs (*1847, 1927), among others, and privately with Anton Bruckner. After conducting posts at Bad Hall, Laibach, Olmutz, Vienna and Kassel he took the post of second conductor at the Deutsches Landestheater in Prague in 1885 and in 1886 took the same position in Leipzig where he directed the Leipzig Opera for half a year (standing in for Arthur Nikisch). In 1888 he became director of the Budapest Opera and in 1891 chief conductor at the Hamburg Stadttheater. In 1897 he worked as a guest conductor in Poland and Russia, among others. The very same year Mahler first became conductor, then director of the Vienna Court Opera which he led to artistic heights unattained until then. From 1898-1901 he also conducted the Philharmonic Concerts. In 1902 he married Alma Maria Schindler (Mahler-Werfel, Alma). In autumn 1907 Mahler became conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York and in 1909 was also appointed musical director of the New York Philharmonic Society.
Work:
As a conductor, Mahler had a determining influence on Willem Mengelberg, Bruno Walter and Otto Klemperer, among others, due to his orchestral discipline and the strict faithfulness of his interpretations to the respective original work. In his capacity as opera director, he introduced numerous innovations, such as concentrated rehearsal work with singers and choir. Especially in collaboration with the painter and graphic designer Alfred Roller, he even achieved a fundamental reform of the scenic presentation and a new unity of production, setting and musical interpretation. Mahler also re-arranged several works (e.g. Carl Maria von Weber's operas »The Three Pintos«, »Euryanthe« and »Oberon« as well as Mozart's »Le nozze di Figaro«) to increase their theatrical effectiveness.
In his songs Mahler musically carried on where Schumann in particular had left off. Until 1899 he mainly used texts from the anthology »Des Knaben Wunderhorn« edited by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano, then poems by Friedrich Rückert as a literary basis. The melody is characterized by a tendency toward dramatic expressiveness, the accompaniment by a symbolically and psychologically nuanced quality of expression, with folksong-like simplicity being closely combined with a strong differentiation. Many songs are available in versions for piano and for orchestra.
The close connection between song and symphonic work in Mahler's oeuvre shows in the fact that he incorporated songs into his first symphonies (even as instrumental transformation), e.g. »Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen« into Symphony No. 1 and »Wunderhorn-Lieder« into Symphonies Nos. 2-4. Whereas the instrumental technique connected with the lied goes back to Schubert, the incorporation of vocal parts into the symphony (apart from Symphonies No. 1-4 also into Symphony No. 8) and into »Lied von der Erde« refers to Beethoven (Symphony No. 9). The widening of the individual movements of the symphonies, the expansion of the symphonic framework to seven movements, the structure of the dynamic scherzo movements and the affective intensifications in the concluding cadences of the movements are reminiscent of Bruckner. In the programmatic explanations that Mahler included with some of his symphonies, he took up a line of development which can be traced back to Hector Berlioz's programme music. Even though Mahler withdrew these explanations later, they nevertheless refer to the philosophical and confessional character of his music which is characterized by a combination of quite different stylistic elements.
The melody ranges from folksong-like, simple phrases which sometimes deliberately do not shy away from banality, often as a contrast to more dramatic sections and, as such, of only feigned »naivety«, to highly elaborate shapes, from lyrical restraint to high emotionalism which can be commented on with irony. As regards the harmony, traditional diatonicism is juxtaposed with polyphonic and fugal passages, pentatonic scales and chromatic part-writing to the limits of atonality. The subtle instrumentation does justice both to the monumental nature of the symphonies (particularly of the "Symphony of a Thousand") and to the chamber music style of the late oeuvre. Many of these heterogenous features prove Mahler's compositions to be works of a transitional period between Romanticism and avant-garde. Not only do they refer back to tradition, they also strongly influenced harmonic and melodic means of New Music (especially Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern).
Works:
Symphonies: No. 1 in D major (188488, 1892 and 1894 performed as »Titan« according to Jean Paul, later again without title and programme); No. 2 in C minor (188894, for soprano, alto, mixed choir and orchestra); No. 3 in D minor (189396, for alto, female choir, boys' choir and orchestra); No. 4 in G major (18991901, for soprano and orchestra); No. 5 in C sharp minor (1901/02); Nor. 6 in A minor (1903/04); No. 7 in E minor (1904/05); No. 8 in E flat major (1907, for 3 sopranos, 2 altos, tenor, baritone, bass, boys' choir, 2 mixed choirs and orchestra, with the parts: hymn »Veni, creator spiritus« and final scene from Goethe's »Faust II«, called »Symphony of a Thousand«); Das Lied von der Erde (1908/09, symphony for tenor, alto, baritone and orchestra, based on Chinese poems in the translation of Hans Bethge); No. 9 in D major (1908/09); No. 10 in F sharp major (fragment: Adagio, 1910, »Purgatorio« extant as draft of the score and three other movements as short scores as well as sketches, reconstruction by Deryck Cooke, among others).
Songs with orchestra: 4 Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (188385, based on his own texts); songs from »Des Knaben Wunderhorn« (188899); Kindertotenlieder (190104, according to Friedrich Rückert); Sieben Lieder aus letzter Zeit (18991902).
Choral works: Das klagende Lied (187880, new versions 1892 and 1898, for soprano, alto, tenor, mixed choir and orchestra, text by Mahler based on fairy-tales by Ludwig Bechstein and the Brothers Grimm).
Songs with piano: Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit (1880-90).
Products
-
aus dem Film „TOD IN VENEDIG“Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Hans-Guenter HeumannMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 20045 Q556179E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax
-
from: Symphony No. 5 C-sharp minorComposer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Hans-Guenter HeumannMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 22975 Q47737E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€3.99Incl. Tax
-
from Symphony No. 5Composer: Gustav MahlerAuthor: Barrie Carson TurnerMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: flute and pianoLanguage: EnglishProduct number: ED 13870 Q45113E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax
-
from Symphony No. 5Composer: Gustav MahlerAuthor: Barrie Carson TurnerMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: Cello and pianoLanguage: EnglishProduct number: ED 13862 Q45063E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax
-
from Symphony No. 5Composer: Gustav MahlerAuthor: Barrie Carson TurnerMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: violin and pianoLanguage: EnglishProduct number: ED 13861 Q45012E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax
-
from Symphony No. 5Composer: Gustav MahlerAuthor: Barrie Carson TurnerMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: pianoLanguage: EnglishProduct number: ED 13860 Q44918E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax
-
from Symphony No. 5Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Vyacheslav GryaznovMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 21860 Q25017E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€3.99Incl. Tax
-
Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Wilhelm OhmenMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 21827 Q21795E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€3.99Incl. Tax
-
from: 5. Symphony C# minor, 4th movementMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 20764 Q7599E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax
-
from Symphony No. 5Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Kenji SakuraiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Chamber Music, 2
Instrumentation: string quartetProduct number: ZO 590110Print editionPrint editionIn stock€22.95Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
from Symphony No. 5Arranger: Makoto GotoComposer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Sheet musicSeries: Piano Duet, 79
Instrumentation: piano (4 hands)Product number: ZO 915079Print editionPrint editionIn stock€9.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
from "Symphony No. 5"Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Makoto GotoMedia Type: Sheet musicSeries: Music for Piano, 462
Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ZO 101878Print editionPrint editionIn stock€7.95Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
from "Symphony No. 10"Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Kenji SakuraiMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Chamber Music, 5
Instrumentation: string quartetProduct number: ZO 590111Print editionPrint editionIn stock€38.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
6th movement from Symphony No. 3Composer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsInstrumentation: Brass bandProduct number: BMP 2123160Print editionPrint editionOut of stock€0.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
-
based on texts by Friedrich Rückert and from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn“Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Stefan HeuckeEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Fünf Lieder von 1901
Instrumentation: medium voice and string quartetProduct number: ED 23617Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax -
based on texts by Friedrich Rückert and from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn“Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Stefan HeuckeEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Fünf Lieder von 1901
Instrumentation: low voice and string quartetProduct number: ED 23618Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax -
nach Worten von Richard LeanderComposer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and orchestraLanguage: GermanHire/performance materialHire/performance material
-
für Sopran und zehn BläserComposer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Friedrich K. WanekMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and 10 wind instrumentsLanguage: GermanHire/performance materialHire/performance material
-
für Sopran und OrchesterComposer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and orchestraLanguage: GermanHire/performance materialHire/performance material
-
Composer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: voice and pianoLanguage: GermanProduct number: ED 6792 Q53759E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€1.99Incl. Tax
-
aus "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"Composer: Gustav MahlerSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: voice and pianoProduct number: ED 1571Product TypeIn stockAs low as €6.99Incl. Tax -
aus "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"Composer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and orchestraLanguage: GermanHire/performance materialHire/performance material
-
Composer: Gustav MahlerEditor: Andreas Ballstaedt | Klaus DoegeEdition: Study scoreSeries: Eulenburg Miniature Scores
Instrumentation: solovoice and orchestraProduct number: ETP 1060Product TypeIn stockAs low as €10.99Incl. Tax -
1. Satz und Skizze eines Scherzo-SatzesMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Set of partsSeries: exempla nova
Instrumentation: Violine, Viola, Violoncello, KlavierProduct number: SIK0800Print editionPrint editionIn stock€31.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
Book 3Composer: Gustav MahlerEdition: lSeries: Edition Schott
Lieder und Gesänge, Issue 3
Instrumentation: Voice Part and PianoProduct number: ED 834Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
Book 3Composer: Gustav MahlerEdition: highSeries: Edition Schott
Lieder und Gesänge, Issue 3
Instrumentation: Voice Part and PianoProduct number: ED 833Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
Book 2Composer: Gustav MahlerEdition: lowSeries: Edition Schott
Lieder und Gesänge, Issue 2
Instrumentation: Voice Part and PianoProduct number: ED 832Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
Book 2Composer: Gustav MahlerSeries: Edition Schott
Lieder und Gesänge, Issue 2
Instrumentation: Voice Part and PianoProduct number: ED 831Product TypeIn stockAs low as €12.99Incl. Tax -
Book 1Composer: Gustav MahlerSeries: Edition Schott
Lieder und Gesänge, Issue 1
Instrumentation: Voice Part and PianoProduct number: ED 830Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
Book 1Composer: Gustav MahlerSeries: Edition Schott
Lieder und Gesänge, Issue 1
Instrumentation: Voice Part and PianoProduct number: ED 829Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
arrangiert für Kammerorchester von Michael Rot (2020)Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Michael RotMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: chamber orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
-
arrangiert für Kammerensemble von Michael Rot (2016)Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Michael RotMedia Type: E-score PDFEdition: Score and partsInstrumentation: Flöte, 2 Klarinetten, Horn und StreichquintettProduct number: DVGH 1868-71 Q52849E-score PDFE-score PDFIn stock€39.99Incl. Tax
-
arrangiert für Kammerorchester von Michael Rot (2020)Composer: Gustav MahlerArranger: Michael RotMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: ScoreInstrumentation: chamber orchestraProduct number: VGH 2726-12Print editionPrint editionIn stock€36.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
-
Arrangements by other Composers for Piano Four Hands of Works by Dmitri ShostakovichComposer: Arthur Honegger | Gustav Mahler | Igor StravinskyEditor: Victor EkimovskyArranger: Dmitri ShostakovichMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: ScoreSeries: Shostakovich New Collected Works (150 Volumes), Vol. 114/115
Instrumentation: piano (4 hands); 2 pianosProduct number: BH 13456Print editionPrint editionOut of stock€115.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
Composer: Bodo Koenigsbeck | Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsInstrumentation: piano, flute (oboe), clarinet, bassoonProduct number: ACC2017Print editionPrint editionOut of stock€30.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
-
9 Lieder und GesängeProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €16.99Incl. Tax
-
9 Lieder und GesängeProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €14.99Incl. Tax
-
Verschiedene LiederComposer: Gustav MahlerEditor: Karl Heinz FuesslInstrumentation: voice and pianoProduct number: ED 7534Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax
-
aus "Des Knaben Wunderhorn"Composer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: soprano and orchestraLanguage: GermanHire/performance materialHire/performance material
-
für OrchesterMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Study scoreInstrumentation: OrchesterProduct number: SIK1431Print editionPrint editionIn stock€22.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
-
Composer: Gustav MahlerEditor: Franz Josef SchwarzEdition: Study scoreSeries: Eulenburg Miniature Scores
Instrumentation: low voice and orchestraProduct number: ETP 1053Product TypeIn stockAs low as €13.99Incl. Tax -
for large orchestraProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €36.99Incl. Tax
-
for large orchestraComposer: Gustav MahlerMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestraHire/performance materialHire/performance material
-
Media Type: MP3 downloadProduct number: WER 51222 Q50189MP3 downloadMP3 downloadIn stock€6.99Incl. Tax
-
Media Type: MP3 downloadProduct number: WER 51222 Q50191MP3 downloadMP3 downloadIn stock€1.99Incl. Tax
-
Media Type: MP3 downloadProduct number: WER 51222 Q50190MP3 downloadMP3 downloadIn stock€3.99Incl. Tax
-
Media Type: MP3 downloadProduct number: WER 51222 Q50193MP3 downloadMP3 downloadIn stock€6.99Incl. Tax
-
Media Type: MP3 downloadProduct number: WER 51222 Q50192MP3 downloadMP3 downloadIn stock€2.99Incl. Tax
-
Realisation and elaboration of the unfinished drafts – A new version by Yoel GamzouComposer: Gustav MahlerConductor: Yoel GamzouProduct number: WER 51222Product TypeIn stockAs low as €11.99Incl. Tax
-
Realisation and elaboration of the unfinished drafts – A new version by Yoel GamzouProduct number: WER 51222 Q50180In stockStarting at €1.99