Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler (German: Gustav Mahler, pronounced: [ˈɡʊstaf ˈmaːlɐ]; July 7, 1860 – May 18, 1911) was an Austrian-Bohemian romantic composer and one of the most outstanding conductors of his generation. As a composer, he acted as a bridge between the traditions of the 19th century and the modernism of the early 20th century. Mahler's status as a conductor was undisputed during his lifetime, but his own music experienced several periods of relative neglect, including the Nazi period when his works were banned in many parts of Europe. After 1945, a new generation of listeners rediscovered his work; Mahler went on to become one of the most frequently performed and recorded composers, a position he has maintained into the 21st century. Mahler was born into a poor Jewish family in Bohemia and spoke German as his native language. He showed musical talent from an early age. After graduating from the Vienna Conservatoire in 1878, he successively held conductor positions in many European opera houses, gradually rising in status, and was finally appointed director of the Vienna Court Opera in 1897. During his ten years in Vienna, Mahler, who converted to Catholicism in order to obtain the position, was often met with opposition and hostility from the anti-Semitic press. Nonetheless, his innovative productions and insistence on the highest standards of performance have established his reputation as one of the greatest opera conductors; he is particularly adept at interpreting stage works by Wagner, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky. In his later years, he briefly directed the New York Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. Mahler's total body of work was relatively limited; he made a living as a conductor for most of his life, and composition had to be kept as a spare time activity. Except for early works such as piano quartet movements composed while studying in Vienna, Mahler's works usually require large orchestras, symphony choirs and operatic singing solos. The premieres of these works were often controversial, and some took a long time to gain critical and public recognition; exceptions include the Second Symphony and the highly successful premiere of the Eighth Symphony in 1910. Mahler's direct musical successors include the composers of the Second Vienna School, the core of which are Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern. Composers who admired and were influenced by Mahler in the late 20th century included Dmitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten. The International Gustav Mahler Society was founded in 1955 to commemorate the composer's life and achievements.