Gustav Mahler

An approachable critical biography of the late nineteenth-century Viennese composer.

Gustav Mahler's status as an icon of fin-de-siècle Viennese music is assured, and while his life story has been told in numerous biographies, films, and novels, he remains an ambiguous, provocative figure. Supposedly haunted by death and trapped in a torrid marriage, Mahler's brief meeting with Freud has spurred psychoanalytical speculations, but there are other questions to explore as well. Mahler challenged musical form and style, but he rejected most other contemporary trends, identifying with traditional German Enlightenment and Romantic culture. He rose to the pinnacle of his profession, despite the protestations of antisemitic Vienna. This book draws on the latest research to construct a fresh interpretation of Mahler's music in relation to his life.

Author: Stephen Downes
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Published: 06/06/2025
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.72lbs
Size: 7.85h x 5.32w x 0.29d
ISBN13: 9781836390305
ISBN10: 1836390300
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Music

About the Author
Stephen Downes is professor of music at Royal Holloway, University of London. His books include Music and Sentimentalism in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.