Gustav Mahler Libri

Gustav Mahler: Letters to his Wife is undoubtedly the best way to understand Mahler as a man and as a composer: in his own words, intimately detailing his inner world to his wife, Alma. 'Are Collected Letters a superior form of biography? When as numerous and meticulously edited as these of Gustav Mahler, when they provide a time capsule ride back to the last days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the answer must be yes . . . This remarkable book is unputdownable, even for a non-Mahlerite.' Literary Review 'The letters are linked by a commentary that makes the volume both an easy and gripping read . . . There is passion in this book to scald the hand.' Sunday Times 'A vivid and telling portrayal of Mahler's personality in his voice.' Times Literary Supplement

Provides a look at the composer and his philosophy, purpose, and desires

"Hundreds of the letters that Gustav Mahler addressed to his parents and sisters survive, yet they have remained virtually unknown. Spanning the mid-1880s through 1910, the letters record the excitement of a young man with a burgeoning career as a conductor and provide a glimpse into his day-to-day activities rehearsing and conducting operas and concerts in Budapest and Hamburg, and composing his first symphonies and songs. On the private side, they document his parents' illnesses and deaths and the struggles of his siblings Alois, Justine, Otto, and Emma." "The letters also give Mahler's impressions of contemporaries such as Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss, and Hans von Bulow, as well as his personal feelings about significant events, such as his first big success - the completion of Carl Maria von Weber's Die drei Pintos in 1889. In the fall of 1894, the character of the letters changes when Justine and Emma come to live with Mahler in Hamburg and then Vienna, removing the need to communicate by letter about quotidian matters. At this point, the letters relay noteworthy events such as Mahler's campaign to be named director of the Vienna Court Opera, his conducting tours throughout Europe, and his courtship of Alma Schindler."--BOOK JACKET.

Instrumentation: 4d4, 4d2, 3d1+2Eb(1d cl4), 4d2 - 10(4 off-stg), 10(4 off-stg), 4, 1, timp, perc, 2hp, org in set, str, soli SA, mx chor

Mahler's masterpiece from Symphony No. 5, this arrangement is quite true to the original. Will require at least three advanced players, with skills in tenor and treble clef. Being able to subdivide is a MUST, and counting is crucial!