Gustav Mahler Overview

Gustav Mahler was an Austrian composer and conductor, most famous for his monumental symphonies. His works show the influence of preceding Romantic composers, folk music, and hymns; in the works, he extended and broadened harmony, form, and orchestration. He said that... [more]

Gustav Mahler was an Austrian composer and conductor, most famous for his monumental symphonies. His works show the influence of preceding Romantic composers, folk music, and hymns; in the works, he extended and broadened harmony, form, and orchestration. He said that all of his symphonies were “ninths” (i.e. they had the same weight and scope as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony) and that "the symphony should be like the world: it must embrace everything." [show less]