Gustav Mahler interesting facts and short biography. Gustav Mahler biography Gustav Mahler best musical works

Symphonies and large vocal-symphonic works.
“The Complaint Song” / “Das klagende Lied”, for soprano, contral, tenor, mixed choir and orchestra. 1878-1880 (Vienna, February 17, 1901, revised 1899) download
First Symphony (“Titan”), D major. 1884-1888 (Budapest, November 20, 1889)
“Trezna” / “Todtenfeier”, symphonic poem. 1888 (Berlin, March 16, 1896) (included in the Second Symphony as its first movement; it was performed as an independent composition after the premiere of the symphony)
Second Symphony (“Resurrection”), in C minor, for soprano, alto, mixed choir and orchestra. 1888-1894 (Berlin, December 13, 1895)
Third Symphony, D minor, for contralto, women's choir, boys choir and orchestra. 1893-1906 (Krefeld, June 9, 1902)
Fourth Symphony, G major, for soprano and orchestra. 1899-1900 (Munich, November 25, 1901)
Fifth Symphony, C sharp minor. 1901-1902 (Cologne, October 18, 1904)
Sixth Symphony (“Tragic”), A minor. 1903-1904 (Essen, 27 May 1906)
Seventh Symphony, E minor. 1904-1905 (Prague, September 19, 1908)
Eighth Symphony (“Symphony of a Thousand Participants”), E-flat major, for three sopranos, two contraltos, tenor, baritone, bass, boys’ choir, two mixed choirs and big orchestra. 1906-1907 (Munich, September 12, 1910)
“Song of the Earth” / “Das Lied von der Erde”, for tenor, contralto (or baritone) and orchestra. 1907-1909 (Munich, November 20, 1911) download
Ninth Symphony, D major. 1908-1909 (Vienna, June 26, 1912)
Tenth Symphony, F sharp major (not finished). 1910 (Vienna, October 14, 1924 - two parts, revised by E. Krzenek; London, August 13, 1964 - the entire symphony, revised by D. Cook)

Songs.
Three songs for tenor and piano, dedicated to J. Poizl. Words by G. Mahler. 1890 (Brno, September 30, 1934)
1. “In the Spring” / “Im Lenz”
2. “Winter Song” / “Winterlied”
3. “May dance among the greenery” / “Maitanz im Grünen”
Fourteen songs and romances, for voice and piano.
1880-1890
1. “Spring morning” / “Frühlingsmorgen”. Words by R. Leander (Prague, April 18, 1886)
2. “Memory” / “Erinnerung”. Words by R. Leander (Budapest, November 13, 1889)
3. “Hans and Greta” / “Hans und Grethe”. Words by G. Mahler (Prague, April 18, 1886)
4. “Serenade from Don Juan” / “Serenade aus Don Juan”. Words by Tirso de Molina translated by L. Brauenfels (Leipzig, October 1887?)
5. “Fantasy from Don Juan” / “Phantasie aus Don Juan”. Words by Tirso de Molina translated by L. Brauenfels (Leipzig, October 1887?)
6. “To make obedient children obedient” / “Um schlimme Kinder artig zu machen.” Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Munich, season 1899/1900)
7. “I walked cheerfully” / “Ich ging mit Lust.” Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Stuttgart, November 13, 1907?)
8. “Get out!” Away!" / „Aus! Aus!“. Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Hamburg, April 29, 1892)
9. “The power of imagination” / “Starke Einbildungskraft”. Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Stuttgart, November 13, 1907?)
10. “At Strasbourg in the fortress” / “Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz”. Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Helsingfors, November 1906?)
11. “Changing of the guard in summer” / “Ablösung im Sommer”. Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Berlin, season 1904/05)
12. “To part, to separate” / “Scheiden und Meiden”. Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Budapest, November 13, 1889)
13. “Don’t see each other again!” / “Nicht wiedersehen!” Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Hamburg, April 29, 1892)
14. “Self-love” / “Selbstgefühl”. Words from "The Boy's Magic Horn" (Hamburg, February 15, 1900)
“Songs of the Wandering Apprentice” / “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen”, for voice and piano/orchestra. Words by G. Mahler. 1884?-1896 (Berlin, March 16, 1896)
1. “When they celebrate my sweetheart’s wedding” / “Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht”
2. “I was walking this morning” / “Ging heut’ Morgens übers Feld”
3. “A dagger like a burning flame” / “Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer”
4. “Blue Eyes” / “Die zwei blauen Augen”
Twelve songs from The Boy's Magic Horn, for voice and piano/orchestra. 1892-1898
1. “Night Song of the Guardian” / “Der Schildwache Nachtlied”. 1892 (Berlin, December 12, 1892)
2. “Lost Labor” / “Verlor’ne Müh”. 1892 (Berlin, December 12, 1892)
3. “Consolation in Misfortune” / “Trost im Unglück”. 1892 (Hamburg, October 27, 1893)
4. “Who came up with this song?” / “Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?”. 1892 (Hamburg, October 27, 1893)
5. “Earthly Life” / “Das irdische Leben”. 1892-1893 (Vienna, 14 January 1900)
6. “The Sermon of Anthony of Padua to the Fishes” / “Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt”. 1893 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
7. “Rhenish Tale” / “Rheinlegendchen”. 1893 (Hamburg, October 27, 1893)
8. “Song of the Prisoner in the Tower” / “Lied des Verfolgten im Turm”. 1898 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
9. “Where the wonderful trumpets sound” / “Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen.” 1898 (Vienna, 14 January 1900)
10. “Praise of an expert” / “Lob des hohen Verstandes”. 1896 (Vienna, 18 January 1906, for voice and piano)
11. “Three angels sang” / “Es sungen drei Engel”. 1895 (Krefeld, 9 June 1902, as the V movement of the Third Symphony)
12. “Primordial Light” / “Urlicht”. 1892-1893 (Berlin, December 13, 1895, as IV movement of the Second Symphony)
“Heavenly Life” / “Das himmlische Leben”, for voice and piano/orchestra. Lyrics from "The Boy's Magic Horn." 1892 (Hamburg, 27 October 1893) (later used as the finale of the Fourth Symphony)
“Zorya” / “Revelge”, for voice and piano/orchestra. Lyrics from "The Boy's Magic Horn." 1899 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
“The Little Drummer Boy” / “Der Tamboursg’sell”, for voice and piano/orchestra. Lyrics from "The Boy's Magic Horn." 1901 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
Songs to words by F. Rückert, for voice and piano/orchestra.
1901-1902
1. “Don’t look into my songs” / “Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder”. 1901 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
2. “I inhaled the delicate aroma” / “Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft.” 1901 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
3. “I am lost to the world” / “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen”. 1901 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
4. “At Midnight” / “Um Mitternacht”. 1901 (Vienna, January 29, 1905)
5. “If you love for beauty” / “Liebst du um Schönheit”. 1902 (Vienna, February 8, 1907)
“Songs about Dead Children” / “Kindertotenlieder”, for voice and piano/orchestra. Words by F. Rückert. 1901-1904 (Vienna, January 29
1905)
1. “Now the sun will rise again, so bright” / “Nun will die Sonn’ so hell aufgeh’n.” 1901
2. “Now I see why the flame is so dark” / “Nun seh’ ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen.” 1904
3. “If your mother” / “Wenn dein Mütterlein”. 1901
4. “It often seems to me that they just came out” / “Oft denk’ ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen.” 1901
5. “In such weather, when the rain is noisy” / “In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus.” 1904

Lost Works.
“Ernst, Duke of Swabia” / “Herzog Ernst von Schwaben”, opera (not finished). 1875?
Piano quarter, A minor (only the I movement and a fragment of the scherzo have survived; the I movement is performed as an independent composition). 1876-1878? (New York, February 12, 1964) download
“The Argonauts” / “Die Argonauten”, opera (not finished). 1880
“Rübezahl” / “Rübezahl”, opera (not finished, libretto preserved). 1879-1883
Prelude with choir. 1883 (Kassel, November 2, 1883)
“The Trumpeter from Säkkingen” / “Der Trompeter von Säkkingen”, music for tableaux based on the poem by J.W. von Scheffel. 1883 (Kassel, June 23
1884)
“Folk Song” / “Das Volkslied”. Words by S.G.Mosenthal. 1885 (Kassel, April 20, 1885)

Arrangements of works by other composers.
L. van Beethoven. Quartet op.95, F minor. Arranged for string orchestra. 1898? (Vienna, January 15, 1899)
A. Brukner. Third Symphony, D minor. Arranged for piano 4 hands. 1878-1879
K.M. von Weber. “The Three Pintos” / “Die drei Pintos”, opera. 1887 (Leipzig, January 20, 1888) (Mahler completed Weber’s opera on the basis of surviving working materials - libretto and sketches of seven numbers, using material from other works of Weber, almost or not at all known - songs and works for choir; Mahler completed several numbers independently .)
K.M. von Weber. "Euryanthe" / "Euryanthe", opera. 1903-1904 (Vienna, January 19, 1904) (Mahler made his own edition of Euryanthe, making changes to the libretto and score of the opera.)
W.A.Mozart. "The Marriage of Figaro" / "Die Hochzeit des Figaro" ("Le nozze di Figaro"), opera. 1905-1906 (Vienna, March 30, 1906) (Mahler composed recitatives for Max Kahlbeck's new German translation of Mozart's opera.)
F. Schubert. Quartet D810, A minor (“Death and the Maiden”). Arranged for string orchestra. (Hamburg, November 19, 1894, part II only)
Suite from orchestral works by J. S. Bach. 1909 (New York, November 10, 1910)

Born on July 7, 1860 in the Czech village of Kaliste. At the age of six, Gustav began learning to play the piano and discovered extraordinary abilities. In 1875, his father took the young man to Vienna, where, on the recommendation of Professor Yu. Epstein, Gustav entered the conservatory.

Mahler the musician blossomed at the conservatory primarily as a performer-pianist. At the same time, he was deeply interested in symphonic conducting, but as a composer, Mahler did not find recognition within the walls of the conservatory. The first large chamber ensemble works of his student years (piano quintet, etc.) were not yet distinguished by their independent style and were destroyed by the composer. The only mature work of this period is the cantata “Song of Lament” for soprano, alto, tenor, mixed choir and orchestra.

The breadth of Mahler's interests during these years was also manifested in his desire to study the humanities. He attended university lectures on history, philosophy, psychology and the history of music. Deep knowledge in the field of philosophy and psychology later had a direct impact on Mahler’s work.

In 1888, the composer completed his first symphony, which opened a grandiose cycle of ten symphonies and embodied the most important aspects of Mahler’s worldview and aesthetics. The composer’s work displays deep psychologism, which allows him to convey in his songs and symphonies the spiritual world of contemporary man in constant and acute conflicts with the outside world. At the same time, none of Mahler’s contemporary composers, with the exception of Scriabin, raised such large-scale philosophical problems, like Mahler.

With the move to Vienna in 1896, the most important stage in Mahler’s life and work began, when he created five symphonies. During the same period, Mahler created vocal cycles: “Seven Songs of the Last Years” and “Songs about Dead Children.” The Vienna period was the time of Mahler's heyday and recognition as a conductor, primarily as an opera conductor. Having begun his activity in Vienna as the third conductor of the court opera, he took over the post of director a few months later and began reforms that brought the Vienna Opera to the forefront among European theaters.

Gustav Mahler - outstanding symphonist of the 20th century, heir to traditions Beethoven , Schubert And Brahms, who translated the principles of this genre into uniquely individual creativity. Mahler's symphony simultaneously ends a century-long period of development of the symphony and opens the way for the future.

The second most important genre in Mahler's work - song - also completes the long path of development of romantic song among such composers as Schumann, Wolf.

It was the song and the symphony that became the leading genres in Mahler’s work, for in songs we find the subtlest revelation state of mind man, and the global ideas of the century are embodied in monumental symphonic canvases, which in the 20th century can only be compared with symphonies Honeggera , Hindemith And Shostakovich .

In December 1907, Mahler moved to New York, where the last, briefest period in the composer's life began. Mahler's years in America were marked by the creation of his last two symphonies - "Song of the Earth" and the Ninth. The tenth symphony had just begun. Its first part was completed according to sketches and variants by the composer E. Kshenek, and the remaining four parts, based on sketches, were completed much later (in the 1960s) by the English musicologist D. Cook.

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In the summer of 1910, in Altschulderbach, Mahler began work on the Tenth Symphony, which remained unfinished. For most of the summer, the composer was busy preparing the first performance of the Eighth Symphony, with its unprecedented composition, which included, in addition to a large orchestra and eight soloists, participation of three choirs

Immersed in his work, Mahler, who, according to friends, was, in essence, a big child, either did not notice, or tried not to notice, how the problems that were originally inherent in his family life. Alma never truly loved or understood his music - researchers find voluntary or involuntary admissions of this in her diary - which is why the sacrifices that Mahler demanded of her were even less justified in her eyes. The protest against the suppression of her creative ambitions (since this was the main thing that Alma accused her husband of) in the summer of 1910 took the form of adultery. At the end of July, her new lover, the young architect Walter Gropius, sent his passionate love letter addressed to Alma, by mistake, as he himself claimed, or intentionally, as biographers of both Mahler and Gropius himself suspect, sent her to her husband, and later, having arrived in Toblach convinced Mahler to give Alma a divorce. Alma did not leave Mahler - letters to Gropius with the signature “Your wife” lead researchers to believe that she was guided by naked calculation, but she expressed to her husband everything that had accumulated over the years life together. A severe psychological crisis was reflected in the manuscript of the Tenth Symphony and eventually forced Mahler to turn to Sigmund Freud for help in August.

The premiere of the Eighth Symphony, which the composer himself considered his main work, took place in Munich on September 12, 1910, in a huge exhibition hall, in the presence of the Prince Regent and his family and numerous celebrities, including long-time admirers of Mahler - Thomas Mann, Gerhart Hauptmann, Auguste Rodin, Max Reinhardt, Camille Saint-Saens. This was the first true triumph of Mahler the composer - the audience was no longer divided into applauding and whistling, the ovation lasted 20 minutes. Only the composer himself, according to eyewitnesses, did not look triumphant: his face looked like a wax mask.

Promising to come to Munich a year later for the first performance of the “Song of the Earth,” Mahler returned to the United States, where he had to work much more than he had expected when signing a contract with the New York Philharmonic: in the 1909/10 season, the committee directing the orchestra obliged to give 43 concerts, in fact it turned out to be 47; the next season the number of concerts was increased to 65. At the same time, Mahler continued to work at the Metropolitan Opera, whose contract was valid until the end of the season in 1910/11. Meanwhile, Weingartner was surviving from Vienna, newspapers wrote that Prince Montenuovo was negotiating with Mahler - Mahler himself denied this and in any case had no intention of returning to the Court Opera. After the expiration of the American contract, he wanted to settle in Europe for a free and quiet life; In this regard, the Mahler couple made plans for many months - now no longer connected with any obligations, which included Paris, Florence, Switzerland, until Mahler chose, despite any grievances, the vicinity of Vienna.

But these dreams were not destined to come true: in the fall of 1910, overexertion turned into a series of sore throats, which Mahler’s weakened body could no longer resist; tonsillitis, in turn, caused complications in the heart. He continued to work in last time, already with a high fever, stood at the controls on February 21, 1911. A streptococcal infection that caused subacute bacterial endocarditis became fatal for Mahler.

American doctors were powerless; in April, Mahler was brought to Paris for serum treatment at the Pasteur Institute; but all that Andre Chantemesse could do was confirm the diagnosis: medicine at that time did not have effective means of treating his illness. Mahler's condition continued to deteriorate, and when it became hopeless, he wanted to return to Vienna.

On May 12, Mahler was brought to the capital of Austria, and for 6 days his name did not leave the pages of the Viennese press, which published daily bulletins about the state of his health and competed in praising the dying composer - who, both for Vienna and for other capitals that did not remain indifferent, was still primarily a conductor. He was dying in the clinic, surrounded by baskets of flowers, including from the Vienna Philharmonic - this was the last thing he had time to appreciate. On May 18, shortly before midnight, Mahler passed away. On the 22nd he was buried in the Grinzing cemetery, next to his beloved daughter.

Mahler wanted the funeral to take place without speeches and chants, and his friends carried out his will: the farewell was silent. The premieres of his last completed works - “Songs of the Earth” and the Ninth Symphony - took place under the baton of Bruno Walter.

Gustav Mahler. MAHLER Gustav (1860 1911), Austrian composer, conductor. In 1897 1907 conductor of the Vienna Court Opera. Since 1907 in the USA. Toured (in 1890-1900s in Russia). Features of late romanticism, expressionism in creativity... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Mahler) (1860 1911), Austrian composer, conductor, opera director. From 1880 he was the conductor of various opera houses in Austria-Hungary, and in 1897-1907 he was the conductor of the Vienna Court Opera. Since 1907 in the USA, conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, since 1909 also... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Mahler, Gustav) GUSTAV MAHLER. (1860 1911), Austrian composer and conductor. Born on July 7, 1860 in Kaliste (Czech Republic) the second of 14 children in the family of Maria Hermann and Bernhard Mahler, a Jewish distiller. Soon after Gustav's birth, the family moved to... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Gustav Mahler (1909) Gustav Mahler (German: Gustav Mahler; July 7, 1860, Kalište, Czech Republic; May 18, 1911, Vienna) was an Austrian composer and conductor. One of the greatest symphonists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Contents... Wikipedia

Gustav Mahler (7/7/1860, Kališt, Czech Republic, ‒ 18/5/1911, Vienna), Austrian composer and conductor. He spent his childhood in Jihlava and studied at the Vienna Conservatory in 1875–78. From 1880 he worked as a conductor in small theaters in Austria-Hungary, in 1885-86 in... ... Big Soviet encyclopedia

- (7 VII 1860, Kaliste, Czech Republic 18 V 1911, Vienna) A man in whom the most serious and pure artistic will of our time was embodied. T. Mann The great Austrian composer G. Mahler said that for him writing a symphony means everyone... ... Musical dictionary

- (Mahler) Bohemian composer; genus. in 1860. His main works: Märchenspiel Rübezahl, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, 5 symphonies, Das klagende Lied (solo, choir and orchestra), Humoresken for orchestra, romances... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Mahler, Gustav composer (1860 1911). A talented conductor (he also conducted in St. Petersburg), Mahler is interesting as a composer mainly for the breadth of his concept and the grandiose architectonics of his symphonic works, which suffer, however... ... Biographical Dictionary

Mahler, Gustav This term has other meanings, see Mahler (meanings). Gustav Mahler (1909) Gustav Mahler (German: Gustav Mahler; July 7, 1860, Kaliste ... Wikipedia

- (1909) Gustav Mahler (German: Gustav Mahler; July 7, 1860, Kalište, Czech Republic May 18, 1911, Vienna) Austrian composer and conductor. One of the greatest symphonists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Contents... Wikipedia

Books

Symphony no. 7, Mahler Gustav. Reprint sheet music edition of Mahler, Gustav "Symphony No. 7". Genres: Symphonies; For orchestra; Scores featuring the orchestra; For piano 4 hands (arr); Scores featuring the piano; Scores…
Gustav Mahler. Letters. Memoirs, Gustav Mahler. Compilation, introductory article and notes by I. Barsova. Translation from German by S. Osherov. Reproduced in the original author's spelling of the 1964 edition (Music publishing house).…

Austria is a country that is undoubtedly rich in great musicians. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and many others. Gustav Mahler - one of the representatives musical culture Austria, who made an invaluable contribution to musical art not only of your country, but of the whole world. He was not only a composer, but also a famous conductor.

Biography

According to his biography, Gustav Mahler was born in the small village of Kaliste in Bohemia, which is located in the Czech Republic, in 1860. He was the second child in the family. By the way, out of fourteen children, his parents had to bury eight.

Gustav's father and mother were absolute opposites to each other, but this did not stop them from living together for a long time. happy life. Bernhard Mahler, like the grandfather of the future famous composer, was an innkeeper and merchant. Mother, Maria, was the daughter of a soap factory worker. She was a very sweet and flexible woman, which could not be said about Gustav's father, who was incredibly stubborn. Perhaps this contrast of characters helped them become one.

Childhood

Nothing foreshadowed Gustav's musical career. Neither mother nor father were at all interested in art. But the family's move to Jihlava put everything in its place, perhaps deciding the fate of the future composer.

The Czech city of Jihlava was full of traditions. Surprisingly, there was a theater here that staged not only dramatic repertoire, but also opera. Thanks to the fairs where the military brass band played, Gustav Mahler first encountered music and fell in love with it forever.

Hearing the orchestra play for the first time, the boy was so amazed that he could not take his eyes off his fascination. He had to be taken home by force. Folk music fascinated the future composer, so by the age of 4 he was vigorously playing the harmonica, given by his father.

Gustav's family was Jewish, but the boy wanted to be closer to music so much that his father was able to negotiate with a Catholic priest so that his son could sing in a children's choir catholic church. Seeing their son’s love and passion for art, his parents found an opportunity to pay for his piano lessons.

Creative path

If Gustav Mahler learned to play the piano well by the age of six, his first works as a composer appeared somewhat later. When the young man turned 15 years old, his parents, on the recommendation of his teachers, sent their son to study.

The choice, naturally, fell on an educational institution where the young Mahler could learn his favorite activity. This is how young Gustav came to the capital classical music that time, to Vienna. Having entered the conservatory, he enthusiastically devoted himself to the work of his whole life.

After this is over educational institution Mahler graduated from the University of Vienna. But, having received the classic music education in the direction of composing, he understood that he could not feed himself by composing, so he decided to try himself as a conductor. By the way, he did it not just well, but amazingly. It is as a conductor that Gustav Mahler is known throughout the world. One could only envy the musician’s tenacity. He could spend hours practicing a small fragment with the orchestra, forcing both himself and the orchestra members to work exhaustively.

He began his conducting career with a small group that did not show much promise. But every year he was offered more and more prestigious jobs. The pinnacle of his conducting career was the position of director opera house in Vienna.

Mahler's ability to work could be the envy of many. The musicians of the orchestra he directed quietly hated their leader for his persistence and inflexibility. But at the same time it gave its results. Under his direction the orchestra played better than ever.

Once at a concert there was a fire on stage in the prompter's booth. The conductor did not want to stop the performance until the last minute, forcing the musicians to play their parts. Only the firefighters who arrived were able to stop the concert. By the way, when the fire was extinguished, the conductor hurried to continue the performance from where they left off.

Outwardly, the composer Gustav Mahler was somewhat angular and awkward. But as soon as he raised his hands, inviting the orchestra to play, every spectator understood that this man was a genius, that he lived and breathed music. Tousled hair, crazy eyes, and thin figure did not prevent him from being one of the best conductors of his time.

Despite the fact that Gustav Mahler, short biography whom is presented to your attention in the article, directed the Vienna Opera House, he himself never wrote operas. But he has enough symphonic works. Moreover, their scale shocks even an experienced musician. He believed that a symphony should contain as much as possible - complex parts, huge amount orchestra members, incredible strength and the power of musical performance. Spectators, leaving his performances, sometimes felt a certain confusion from the pressure of sound information that literally fell upon them.

Personal life

Like many great composers, personal relationships and family were not the main thing for Gustav Mahler. True love For him there was always music. Although, at the age of 42, Mahler still met his chosen one. Her name was Alma Schindler. She was young, but she already knew how to turn men’s heads. Being 19 years younger than her husband, she was also a budding musician and even managed to write several songs.

Unfortunately, Gustav did not tolerate competition even with his wife, so musical career Alma just had to forget. She bore him two daughters. Unfortunately, one of them died at the age of 4 after contracting scarlet fever. This was a blow to my father. Perhaps this loss was the cause of the heart disease that he was diagnosed with a little later.

The family life of Gustav and Alma was constantly like a powder keg. Misunderstanding and jealousy took a huge amount of energy. And although Alma was faithful to her husband, he suspected that she was having an affair with a promising architect.

His wife was by his side until his death. In those years, antibiotics were not known, therefore, by diagnosing Mahler with bacterial endocarditis, doctors literally signed his death contract. And even experimental treatment with a certain serum, which the musician decided on literally out of despair, did not help. Gustav Mahler died in Vienna in 1911.

Creative heritage

Main musical genre The composer's work included a symphony and a song. Two completely different genres found their response in this talented and purposeful person. Mahler wrote 9 symphonies. The 10th, unfortunately, was not completed at the time of his death. All his symphonies are long and very emotional.

Also, Mahler’s work throughout his life, from childhood, was hand in hand with song. Gustav Mahler has more than 40 musical works. The cycle “Songs of the Wandering Apprentice” is especially popular, the words to which he wrote himself. You can't ignore "The Boy's Magic Horn" - based on folklore. Also beautiful are “Songs about Dead Children” with lyrics by F. Rückert. Another popular cycle is “7 Last Songs”.

"Song of the Earth"

This piece of music can hardly be called just a song. This is a cantata for symphony orchestra and two soloists who alternately perform their vocal parts. The work was written in 1909 by a composer who was already creatively mature. In "Song of the Earth" Gustav Mahler wanted to express his entire attitude towards the world and music. The music is based on poems by Chinese poets of the Tang era. The work consists of 6 song parts:

“Drinking song about the sorrows of the earth” (E minor).
“Lonely in Autumn” (D minor).
“About Youth” (B flat minor).
“On Beauty” (G major).
“Drunk in the Spring” (A major).
“Farewell” (C minor, C major).

This structure of the work is more like a song cycle. By the way, some composers used this structure of constructing a musical work in their compositions.

"Song of the Earth" was first performed after the composer's death in 1911 by his student and successor.

Gustav Mahler: "Songs of Dead Children"

Already by the title one can judge this work as a tragic page in the composer’s life. Unfortunately, he had to face death as a child, when his brothers and sisters died. And Mahler took the premature death of his daughter very hard.

The vocal cycle for orchestra and soloist was written between 1901 and 1904 based on poems by Friedrich Rückert. In this case, the orchestra is represented not by a full orchestra, but by a chamber composition. The duration of the work is almost 25 minutes.

Symphony No. 10

Gustav Mahler for his creative career wrote quite a lot of musical works, including 9 symphonies. As mentioned above, he started another one. Unfortunately, a serious illness that led to death did not allow another, perhaps brilliant, work to be born. The composer worked on this symphony for quite a long time, then leaving it, then starting work again. After his death, sketches of the work were found. But they were so crude that even his student did not dare to complete his creation. In addition, Gustav Mahler himself was very categorical about works that, in his opinion, were imperfect. He never showed his creations until he finished them.

To present an unfinished composition to the judgment of the viewer, even if these were the closest and dearest people, was absolutely out of character for him. From the composer's notes it follows that the symphony was supposed to consist of five movements. Some of them were written at the time of his death, and some he had not started at all. A few years after Mahler's death, the composer's wife asked some musicians for help, inviting them to complete last essay her husband, but, unfortunately, no one agreed to this. Therefore, even today Gustav Mahler’s last symphony is not available to the listener. But individual parts of the work were rearranged from orchestration into solo works for instruments and performed at various venues around the world.

Gustav sold his first compositions, written at the age of 16. True, his own parents became buyers. Apparently, even then the future composer wanted to receive not only moral satisfaction for his work, but also financial support.

As a child, the composer was a very reserved child. One day his father left him alone in the forest. Returning for the child a few hours later, the father found him sitting in the same position in which he had left him. It turned out that loneliness did not frighten the child at all, but only gave him a reason and time to reflect on life.

Mahler was delighted with the work of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and even helped produce several of his operas in Germany and Austria. So we can assume that Tchaikovsky’s world fame also increased thanks to Gustav Mahler. By the way, upon arriving in Austria, Tchaikovsky attended a rehearsal of his opera. He liked the conductor’s work so much that he did not interfere, but allowed Mahler to do everything as he intended.

The composer was Jewish. But when it was necessary for mercantile motives to change his faith, he became a Catholic without a twinge of conscience. However, after that I never became more sensitive to religion.

Gustav Mahler was very respectful of the work of the Russian writer F. I. Dostoevsky.

All his life Mahler wanted to be like Ludwig van Beethoven, and not only in quality outstanding composer, but even outwardly he tried to be like him. By the way, he did the latter quite well. His tousled hair and half-crazed gleam in his eyes made Mahler look a little like Beethoven. His emotional and overly harsh conducting style differed from the techniques of other orchestra directors. People sitting in the auditorium sometimes felt as if he was being electrocuted.

Gustav Mahler had a surprisingly quarrelsome character. He could quarrel with anyone. The orchestra's musicians literally hated him because Gustav forced them to continue working with the instrument for 15 hours straight without rest.

It was Mahler who introduced the fashion of turning off the lights in the hall during a performance. This was done so that the audience would look only at the illuminated stage, and not at each other’s jewelry and outfits.

Last years of life

In their recent years Mahler worked very hard. Being no longer young, he continued to conduct and create his own works. Unfortunately, the serious illness was diagnosed too late, and the medicine of that time was far from perfect. Gustav Mahler, whose biography was discussed in the article, died in 1911 at the age of 51. His wife was married twice more after his death and even gave birth to a child, who, unfortunately, also died at the age of 18.

Grand Master

The music of Gustav Mahler is complex, emotional and not always understandable. But it carries within itself the experiences that the composer experienced when creating his imperishable masterpieces.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) - combined in his person a brilliant composer-symphonist and a brilliant conductor. He performed almost the entire symphonic repertoire of his time and toured many countries around the world (including visiting Russia three times).

Mahler's most fruitful activity was as chief conductor of the Vienna Court Opera House. The composer spent the last 4 years of his life in America. He became conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and also director of the New York Philharmonic.

Mahler's creative interests focused on two genres - symphony and song. He is the author of 9 symphonies (the 10th remained unfinished) and at least 40 songs (including for voice and orchestra). Among him vocal compositions- cycles “Songs of the Wandering Apprentice” (based on his own poems), “Magic Horn of a Boy” (based on folk texts, collected by the “Heidelberg” romantic writers Arnim and Brentano), “Songs about Dead Children” (with words by F. Rückert), “7 Songs of the Last Years”.

The song and the symphony in Mahler's work were always inseparably linked: the melodies of the songs repeatedly became the most important themes of his symphonies, or were completely included in the symphony as independent vocal episodes. At the end creative path the song cycle and symphony were fused together in the symphony-cantata “Song of the Earth,” written to texts by Chinese poets of the 8th century (1908). All 6 of its parts are vocal (tenor and contralto or baritone solo).

On turn of XIX-XX centuries, Mahler was one of the few composers in Austria and Germany whose works are imbued with deep philosophical issues. All his work is a continuous search for answers to the fundamental questions of human existence. Extreme sincerity and deep compassion for each person bring Mahler’s music closer to the work of F. M. Dostoevsky, which the composer knew and loved well.

The main thing that Mahler has in common with Dostoevsky is a thirst for justice, irreconcilability to the slightest manifestations of evil, a sense of involvement in everything that is happening in the world. He said: “There is a pan-European vice: everywhere they say - this does not concern me... But it’s not a person who can say so, but a clay heap! No, everything concerns me, the whole world...”

In order to make it easier for the listener to perceive their philosophical ideas, Mahler often included in symphonies poetic texts, entrusting their performance to the choir or solo singers. In the 2nd-4th symphonies these are the texts of folk songs from “The Boy’s Magic Horn”, as well as poems by the German poet Klopstock (in the 2nd symphony) and lines by F. Nietzsche (in the 3rd symphony); The 8th Symphony is based on the text of the final scene of Goethe's Faust.

Other Mahler symphonies (1st, 5th-7th, 9th) are purely instrumental, but their ideas were born from songs. So, for example, in the 1st symphony it is used musical material vocal cycle “Songs of the Wandering Apprentice”; symphonies of the middle period (5th-7th) are associated with song cycles to the words of Rückert.

It is the song (in solo, choral or orchestral presentation) in Mahler’s symphonies that is the main bearer of the generalized idea.

Typical features of Mahler's style also include reliance on existing genres of folk and urban music (song, dance, most often ländler and waltz, military or funeral march, military signal, chorale).

In most of his symphonies, Mahler abandons the classical 4-movement structure: in the 2nd and 5th symphonies there are five movements; in the 3rd - six, in the 8th - only two. The traditional sequence of parts and their tempo relationships also change. Mahler's orchestra embodied two trends characteristic of the beginning of the twentieth century: on the one hand, the expansion of the orchestral apparatus (especially the powerful orchestra in the 8th symphony, which is called the “Symphony for a Thousand Participants”), on the other, the emergence of the chamber orchestra.

Completing the age of romanticism, Mahler anticipated many phenomena modern music(in particular, emotional aggravation). He had a particularly strong influence on Shostakovich.