Born at Kaliště in Bohemia, the son of a Jewish pedlar, Gustav Mahler later described himself as three times homeless: a Bohemian in Austria, an Austrian among Germans, and a Jew throughout the world – everywhere an intruder, never welcomed. His principal musical training was at the Vienna Conservatory, after which he embarked on a career as a conductor which took him to important positions in Budapest, Hamburg, and finally the Vienna Court Opera, where he made a number of major reforms. Hostility fomented by sections of the press forced his resignation in 1907, after which he briefly continued a distinguished international career as a conductor, notably in New York, until his death in 1911. As a composer Mahler wrote symphonies that absorbed into their texture and form the tradition of German song, the music reflecting the spirit of the time in which he lived, in all its variety.

Orchestral Music
Mahler completed nine symphonies (leaving a 10th unfinished) in addition to Das Lied von der Erde (‘The Song of the Earth’), a symphony in all but name which comprises settings of a series of poems from Bethge’s Die chinesische Flöte. The first of the symphonies, sometimes known as ‘Titan’, includes a remarkable ironic funeral march that transforms a nursery tune; Nos 2, 3, 4 and 8 make use of voices, the last of these on a massive scale. All the symphonies, in their variety of mood, offer a reflection of the world through music that may occasionally be garish and yet often reaches unsurpassable heights.

Vocal Music
In addition to the vocal element in his symphonies, Mahler wrote songs of singular beauty. They include settings of poems from the Romantic anthology Des Knaben Wunderhorn (‘The Boy’s Magic Horn’), Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (‘Songs of a Wayfarer’), and Rückert’s Kindertotenlieder (‘Songs of the Death of Children’).


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71 items found

Title
ABBADO, Claudio: Hearing the Silence
ABBADO, Claudio: Hearing the Silence
Composers: Beethoven, Ludwig van -- Brahms, Johannes -- Bruckner, Anton -- Debussy, Claude -- Dvorak, Antonin -- Mahler, Gustav -- Stravinsky, Igor -- Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il'yich
Artists: Abbado, Claudio -- Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra -- Lucerne Festival Orchestra -- Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Label/Producer: EuroArts
ADAMS, J.: City Noir / MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 1,
ADAMS, J.: City Noir / MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 1,
Composers: Adams, John -- Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Dudamel, Gustavo -- Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Label/Producer: C Major
ALL-STAR ORCHESTRA (THE): Program 7: Music's Emotional Impact / Program 8: Mahler: Love, Sorrow and Transcendence (G. Schwarz)
ALL-STAR ORCHESTRA (THE): Program 7: Music's Emotional Impact / Program 8: Mahler: Love, Sorrow and Transcendence (G. Schwarz)
Composers: Mahler, Gustav -- Rands, Bernard -- Stock, David -- Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il'yich -- Thomas, Augusta Read
Artists: All-Star Orchestra, The -- Maultsby, Nancy -- Schwarz, Gerard
Label/Producer: Naxos
BACH, J.S. / MAHLER, G.: Vocal and Piano Music (Home Music Berlin Concert 11) (Trekel, Piemontesi)
BACH, J.S. / MAHLER, G.: Vocal and Piano Music (Home Music Berlin Concert 11) (Trekel, Piemontesi)
Composers: Bach, Johann Sebastian -- Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Piemontesi, Francesco -- Trekel, Roman
Label/Producer: PARS Media
Berlin Philharmonic in Singapore - RACHMANINOV, S.: Symphonic Dances / MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 1 (Rattle)
Berlin Philharmonic in Singapore - RACHMANINOV, S.: Symphonic Dances / MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 1 (Rattle)
Composers: Mahler, Gustav -- Rachmaninov, Sergei
Artists: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra -- Rattle, Simon
Label/Producer: EuroArts
DISCOVERING MASTERPIECES - MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 5
DISCOVERING MASTERPIECES - MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 5
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Abbado, Claudio -- Barham, Jeremy -- Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Label/Producer: EuroArts
Double Bass Music - BACH, J.S. / BEETHOVEN, L. van / HAYDN, J. / MAHLER, G. / PROKOFIEV, S. / VERDI, G. (Masterclass with Hayk Khachatryan) (Karwan)
Double Bass Music - BACH, J.S. / BEETHOVEN, L. van / HAYDN, J. / MAHLER, G. / PROKOFIEV, S. / VERDI, G. (Masterclass with Hayk Khachatryan) (Karwan)
Composers: Bach, Johann Sebastian -- Beethoven, Ludwig van -- Haydn, Franz Joseph -- Mahler, Gustav -- Prokofiev, Sergey -- Verdi, Giuseppe
Artists: Karwan, Jacek -- Khachatryan, Hayk
Label/Producer: DakApp
DVORAK, A.: Golden Spinning-Wheel (The) / MAHLER, G.: Das Lied von der Erde (Kozena, O'Neill, Czech Philharmonic, Rattle)
DVORAK, A.: Golden Spinning-Wheel (The) / MAHLER, G.: Das Lied von der Erde (Kozena, O'Neill, Czech Philharmonic, Rattle)
Composers: Dvorak, Antonin -- Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra -- Kozena, Magdalena -- O'Neill, Simon -- Rattle, Simon
Label/Producer: EuroArts
FUOCO SACRO - A Search for the Sacred Fire of Song (Documentary, 2021)
FUOCO SACRO - A Search for the Sacred Fire of Song (Documentary, 2021)
Composers: Abrahamsen, Hans -- Debussy, Claude -- Grisey, Gerard -- Mahler, Gustav -- Mascagni, Pietro -- Puccini, Giacomo -- Satie, Erik -- Strauss, Richard -- Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il'yich -- Verdi, Giuseppe
Artists: Bavarian State Orchestra -- Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra -- Grigorian, Asmik -- Hannigan, Barbara -- Jaho, Ermonela -- Leeuw, Reinbert de -- Petrenko, Kirill -- Piemontesi, Francesco -- Welser-Most, Franz
Label/Producer: Naxos
GOUD VOOR HAITINK, Part 1 - MAHLER, G.: Das Lied von der Erde (Larsson, Smith, Haitink)
GOUD VOOR HAITINK, Part 1 - MAHLER, G.: Das Lied von der Erde (Larsson, Smith, Haitink)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Haitink, Bernard -- Larsson, Anna -- Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra -- Smith, Robert Dean
Label/Producer: C Major
HOME MUSIC BERLIN CONCERTS Part II
HOME MUSIC BERLIN CONCERTS Part II
Composers: Bach, Johann Sebastian -- Beethoven, Ludwig van -- Berg, Alban -- Brahms, Johannes -- Couperin, Francois -- Granados, Enrique -- Mahler, Gustav -- Ravel, Maurice -- Schubert, Franz -- Wagner, Richard
Artists: Bar-Shai, Iddo -- Chochieva, Zlata -- Dreisig, Elsa -- Faust, Isabelle -- Kam, Sharon -- Melnikov, Alexander -- Piemontesi, Francesco -- Porat, Matan -- Rimmer, Nicholas -- Schwabe, Gabriel -- Trekel, Roman -- Wagner, Jacquelyn -- Ware, Jonathan
Label/Producer: PARS Media
KEEPING SCORE - MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 1 / Songs of a Wayfarer (Origins and Legacy)
KEEPING SCORE - MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 1 / Songs of a Wayfarer (Origins and Legacy)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Hampson, Thomas -- San Francisco Symphony Orchestra -- Tilson Thomas, Michael
Label/Producer: SFS Media
MAHLER, G. Lied von der Erde (Das) (Larsson, Smith, Luisi)
MAHLER, G. Lied von der Erde (Das) (Larsson, Smith, Luisi)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Larsson, Anna -- Luisi, Fabio -- Smith, Robert Dean
Label/Producer: C Major
MAHLER, G. Symphony No. 10 (Inbal)
MAHLER, G. Symphony No. 10 (Inbal)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Inbal, Eliahu -- Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Label/Producer: C Major
MAHLER, G.: Kindertotenlieder (Hampson, Bernstein)
MAHLER, G.: Kindertotenlieder (Hampson, Bernstein)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Bernstein, Leonard -- Hampson, Thomas -- Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Label/Producer: UNITEL
MAHLER, G.: Lied von der Erde (Das) (Ludwig, Kollo, Bernstein)
MAHLER, G.: Lied von der Erde (Das) (Ludwig, Kollo, Bernstein)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Bernstein, Leonard -- Israel Philharmonic Orchestra -- Kollo, Rene -- Ludwig, Christa
Label/Producer: UNITEL
MAHLER, G.: Lied von der Erde (Das) (Soffel, Riegel, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Colin Davis)
MAHLER, G.: Lied von der Erde (Das) (Soffel, Riegel, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Colin Davis)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra -- Davis, Colin -- Riegel, Kenneth -- Soffel, Doris
Label/Producer: Monarda Music
MAHLER, G.: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) (Hampson, Bernstein)
MAHLER, G.: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) (Hampson, Bernstein)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artists: Bernstein, Leonard -- Hampson, Thomas -- Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Label/Producer: UNITEL
MAHLER, G.: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen / DVORAK, A.: Symphony No. 8 (Kerstmatinee 2007) (Hampson, Jansons)
MAHLER, G.: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen / DVORAK, A.: Symphony No. 8 (Kerstmatinee 2007) (Hampson, Jansons)
Composers: Dvorak, Antonin -- Mahler, Gustav -- Wolf, Hugo
Artists: Hampson, Thomas -- Jansons, Mariss -- Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Label/Producer: C Major
MAHLER, G.: Life and Work of Gustav Mahler (The) (Documentary, 2008)
MAHLER, G.: Life and Work of Gustav Mahler (The) (Documentary, 2008)
Composer: Mahler, Gustav
Artist: Elysium Ensemble
Label/Producer: TMW Media Group