Gustav Mahler (July7, 1860 - May 18, 1911) was an Austrian late-Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He displayed his musical gifts at an early age. After graduating from the Vienna Conservatory in 1878, he held a succes
Gustav Mahler (July7, 1860 - May 18, 1911) was an Austrian late-Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He displayed his musical gifts at an early age. After graduating from the Vienna Conservatory in 1878, he held a succession of conducting posts in the opera houses of Europe. In 1897 he was appointed director of the Vienna Court Opera. During his time in Vienna, Mahler - who had converted to Catholicism to secure the post - experienced regular opposition and hostility from the anti-Semitic press. Late in his life he was briefly director of New York's Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. While in his lifetime his status as a conductor was established beyond question, his own music gained wide popularity only after periods of relative neglect which included a ban on its performance in much of Europe during the Nazi era. After 1945 the music was discovered and championed by a new generation of listeners; Mahler then became one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers, a position he has sustained into the 21st century. Most of his twelve symphonic scores are large-scale works, often employing vocal soloists and choruses in addition to augmented orchestral forces. These works were often controversial when first performed, and several were slow to receive critical and popular approval. In 1911, he was diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis. He died later that year at the age of 50. No photographer credited, 1909.
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