Gustav Mahler - One Hundred Years After Death

FYI: you can go to www.youtube.com and hear many different recordings of these symphonies. Bernstein and Mehta are my personal favorite Mahler interpreters, but there are myriads of recordings and interpretations. Nevertheless, I did added a link: see below - "Symphony of a Thousand."

Gustav Mahler - one hundred years after death. On May 17, 1911, it was reported that Mahler had fallen ill. He’d been a physical weakling all of his life (though a mental giant), so he wasn’t always up to par; nevertheless, when Mahler wasn’t ill, he’d wake up early in the morning and either commence the day by writing music, taking walks, or he’d prepare for a full day’s work ahead (conducting, rehearsing, etc...). Mahler had been plagued with heart problems early on in life, so it was not expected that he’d live very long - Mahler died on May 18, 1911, at the age of 50 from a blood infection.

Shortly after Mahler was born in 1860, Jews were given some rights in Austria which had been denied to them for centuries. Amongst these, was the right for them to live in mainstream society without having to convert/reform to Christianity - via the Catholic or Protestant Churches. What this meant, was Jews didn’t have to live in villages anymore, but could now live in the main cities next door to a Jesuit (Christian) without having to convert to Christianity. However, Mahler’s father was an ardent atheist; the only thing worse than not being a Christian in 19th Century Europe, was being an atheist. This caused Mahler a great deal of psychological problems early on in life, because he always felt left out by both communities: Christians and Jews alike.... That said, Mahler overcame many obstacles in life and eventually became one of Europe's greatest conductors, as well as an important composer. Feeling left out, Mahler eventually turned to the Catholic Church. In 1897, Mahler was offered one of the most important posts ever to be offered to a Jew in Austria, to become Chief conductor of the Vienna Opera. A post that had up until that point only been occupied by Germans. Because it was an Imperial Post in Austria, Mahler was baptized by the Catholic Church in order to make it more official....

Mahler wrote 9 Symphonies which are considered some of the most important ever written.

Symphony No. 1 “Titan”
This is Mahler’s most famous and beloved symphony, be it because it’s musically the easiest to understand by the masses. The first movement is a gem of orchestration. Mahler uses many different instruments to imitate sounds one might hear in nature and in the woods.

Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
It is in this symphony that Mahler takes Liszt’s cyclical concept to new heights never reached before. Furthermore, the work makes frequent use of solo instruments (known as concertante style writing). This was the first Mahler symphony that would eventually influence the newer generation of composers such as Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Shostakovitch and Berio with its unique and groundbreaking orchestration.

Symphony No. 3
At one time, this symphony had a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest symphony ever written. It’s in 6 movements, and it lasts approximately 100 minutes. Mahler’s first four symphonies were influenced by the supernatural world of “Das Knaben Wunderhorn.”

Symphony No. 4
This symphony has gotten mixed reactions by some Mahler scholars. No one really knows why Mahler wrote it. It’s said, that the symphony is based on left over material from the No. 3. It has a Wunderhorn song finale - a boy who has died of hunger goes to Heaven and is now delighted to find the world’s largest all you can eat buffet....

Symphony No. 5
Many scholarly debates point out that this is the first great symphony that Mahler wrote. The work is a marble of orchestration from the first movement up until its romantic “Big Tune” final movement. The work contains very creative contrapuntal passages which influenced many later great composers of the 20th Century.

Symphony No. 6
Though not as famous or pleasant to listen to as Mahler’s other symphonies, it’s by far Mahler’s darkest and most infamous work. The finale has three orchestral blows, which Mahler later on predicted to be his very end: getting fired from the Vienna Opera, his daughter dying, and his own death - strike three!... The work in itself is very well written and contains superb orchestration....

Symphony No. 7
This work is very well written, nevertheless, unlike Mahler's other symphonies, this one has never really had a cult following.

Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand”
Mahler loved both Beethoven and Goethe very much. He was convinced that had the two had gotten along better, Beethoven would have used material from Faust in his Symphony No. 9, instead of Schiller’s Ode. As a result, Mahler attempted to musically stage Part II of Faust, something few had attempted to do before him, musically or theatrically. A bold act in Mahler’s part - another Guinness Record Holder- takes more than 1000 musicians to perform....

In the finale of Goethe's Faust (part II), God has forgiven Faust for the unforgivable, selling his soul to Satan for knowledge and the beauty of youth.... After Faust dies, Satan attempts to take his soul, but God won't let him. Faust's body is then taken unto Heaven where all the angels are rejoicing - "Long live the eternal feminine" (Goethe's concept of creativity is always female) .... Here it is - the finale of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand" with Simon Rattle and the National Youth Orchestra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYM54vhLYTU&feature=related - these are children /young adults performing, but they do a phenomenal job - bravo - incredible!...

Song of The Earth
Mahler was superstitious and saw how all the Romantic composers before him never made it pass their 9th symphonies, so he thought he cheat death by calling his official 9th Symphony something else. Nevertheless, his 9th Symphony would be his last, because the 10th was left unfinished in sketch form.

Symphony No. 9
One of the most important works of the 20th Century. - A work which influenced many composers with its innovative orchestration and groundbreaking compositional techniques.

Assessment:

Mahler influenced many great 20th Century composers such as: Schoenberg, Bartok, Shostakovitch, and Luciano Berio amongst others....