Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)

Born:

7th July 1860 in Kaliště (in German, Kalischt), Bohemia, Austria (now in the Czech Republic).

Mahler’s grave in Vienna

Died:

18th May 1911 in Vienna, Austria.

Buried:

Grinzinger Friedhof (Grinzing Cemetery), Vienna.

Type of Music:

Classical music from the late romantic period.

A famous piece:

• Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 (this was used in the film ‘Death in Venice’ in 1971). (See below for a video.)

Some great pieces:

• All his symphonies!! (Nos. 1–10). (See below for a video of the end of Symphony No. 2.)

Some interesting facts:

• His symphonies are long and need lots of musicians!
• Symphony No. 8 needs so many musicians that it is called the ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ (although it doesn’t need quite this number!).
• His music wasn’t very popular when it was written, but it is very popular now.
• His symphonies are full of very strong emotions.
• He was very strict towards his musicians when they played his music.
• He had a lot of sadness in his life. Many of his brothers and sisters died when they were young, as did his first daughter (Mahler is buried with her). This pain can be heard in his music.
• He never really felt at home anywhere. He once said, “I am thrice homeless, as a native of Bohemia in Austria, as an Austrian among Germans, and as a Jew throughout the world”.
• He composed a lot of his music in a tiny hut on the edge of a lake in Austria. The famous conductor Bruno Walter once visited Mahler there and said how much he liked the scenery. Mahler simply replied, “Don’t bother looking, I’ve already composed all of it”!!
• One Hollywood producer liked Mahler’s music in the film ‘Death in Venice’ so much, he asked if he could get Mahler to write more music for movies. He didn’t know that Mahler had been dead for over 60 years!