Bohemian-born Austrian composer and conductor
Date of birth: July 7, 1860 - this year is 150 years since his birthDate of death: May 18, 1911 - next year will be 100 years since his death.
Did you know that:
- Mahler was a terrible student at his grammar school, described by his teachers as "absent-minded, untidy and daydreaming".
- Best known as composer, Mahler made his living as a conductor.
- his name translates into Gus Painter (loosely translated that is since Maler in German does not have the H).
- Mahler was the son of a country pedlar and carter: he received his first music lessons from the bass player in the municipal band.
- Mahler is possibly the only composer who could have come up with idea of a funeral march to the tune of "Frère Jacques". It appears in his first symphony. Of course, it does not lilt as does the original song :-)!
- As far known, no-one ever wrote an opera about Mahler, but Ken Russell did make a serious and strange biopic in 1974 - here a short clip from it:
- Mahler turned into a believer in the "Curse of the Ninth" which is, that from Beethoven onwards, a composer's ninth symphony will be his last. He labelled various symphonic works variedly as "symphony no. xx" in order to beat the curse. His tenth symphony was never finished.
- Mahler was married to Alma Schindler,, and for a *different* take on her love life, here is Tom Lehrer's "Alma" Mahler, Gropius, Werfel: ;-)
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