Gustav Mahler (7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was a Jewish Bohemian-Austrian composer and conductor. Mahler’s lifetime spanned the most crucial period in musical history. Behind him lay the rich, Romantic pastures of
Anton Bruckner and
Johannes Brahms, and ahead the “alien” musical landscapes of
Schoenberg and
Boulez and the harrowing emotional terrain of
Shostakovich and
Benjamin Britten. Such was Gustav Mahler’s all-embracing vision that he earned the respect and admiration of all these composers. During a conversation with
Jean Sibelius, Mahler insisted that his symphonies were “who…
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