Gustav Mahler
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EN 6 Composer and conductor Born on July 7, 1860, in Kaliště u Humpolce Died on May 18, 1911, in Vienna Parents: Bernard Mahler and Maria, nee Herrmann wife: Alma, nee Schindler (1879–1964) children: Maria Anna (1902–1907), 7 Anna Justine (1904–1988) October 22 1860 Bernard Mahler and his family moved from Kaliště to Jihlava, where they lived in lodgings at Znojemská Street No. 4 1869 –1875 regular study at Jihlava gymnasium October 13 1870 first public concert in Town Theatre 1875 –1878 student at the Vienna Conservatoire September 12 1877 graduation examination Gustav at Jihlava gymnasium 1879 –1883 several concerts at Town Germany Theatre in Jihlava Christmas 1889 or 1890 probably his last visit to Jihlava Poland Mahler May –June 1880 Bad Hall, season spa orchestra Prague September 3, 1881 –April 1, 1882 Ljubljana, Regional Theatre January 10 –March 17, 1883 Olomouc, Royal Town Theatre August 21, 1883 –June 29, 1885 Kassel, Royal Theatre Czech Republic Jihlava August 1, 1885 –July 15, 1886 Prague, German Royal Land Theatre Brno August 1, 1886 –May 17, 1888 Leipzig, Town Theatre October 1, 1888 –March 22, 1891 Budapest, director of Royal Hungarian Opera Austria Slovak Republic March 26, 1891 –April 24, 1897 Hamburg, Town Theatre April 26, 1897 –December 9, 1907 Vienna, art director of the Court Gustav Mahler House Opera Znojemská 4, 586 01 Jihlava December 21, 1907 –April 8, 1911 New York, guest appearance at Tel.: +420 565 591 849 the Metropolitan Opera, conduc- E-mail: [email protected] ting the Philharmonic Society open: October–March: Tue–Sat 9–12, 12.30–17 April–September: Tue–Sun 9–12, 12.30–17 Issued by the Statutory Town of Jihlava in 2018, 500 copies printed. Photographs: Photographic archive of the Museum of the Highlands in Jihlava and the Moravian Land Archive in Brno – Government District Archive Jihlava (title page). Translation: Ing. Arch. Ivan Anděra. Graphic layout by Eva Bystrianská. Printed by Nová tiskárna Pelhřimov spol. s r. o. www.mahler.cz Gustav Mahler/ANGLICKY/vnějšek 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gustav Mahler – life in brief Gustav Mahler – conductor and opera director Gustav Mahler – composer Music composer and conductor Gustav Mahler was born on The musical talent of young Mahler became apparent very In the musical literature Gustav Mahler is termed a repre- July 7, 1860, to a Jewish, German-speaking family in Kaliště early; he made his first public appearance at the age of ten sentative of late romanticism and a great symphonist of the near Humpolec, as the second-born son of Bernard Mahler in Jihlava Town Theatre, where he occasionally gave con- break of 19th and 20th centuries, who opened the imaginary and Marie, nee Herrmann. Soon after Gustav’s birth the fam- certs till 1883, even after his departure to Vienna. gateway to the 20th century. The cornerstones of his work ily moved to Jihlava, where they settled in the house No. 4 From 1880 to 1911 the conductor’s career led him to are his nine finished symphonies, the The Song of the Earth at what is today Znojemská Street. In 1872 the favourable many towns, where he worked with local orchestras during his symphony for voices and orchestra and a number of song financial situation also allowed to purchase the neighbouring engagements. This route led him first to the Upper Austrian cycles. It is paradoxical that although throughout his life house, No. 6. town of Bad Hall, where he was the conductor for a seaso- he was dedicated to opera conducting, he never (it could After completing his elementary education, in 1869 nal spa orchestra; shortly after this he went to Ljubljana, be stated ironically that it was this very reason) wrote any Gustav entered the German gymnasium at today’s Hluboká where he led the Regional Theatre orchestra. In Olomouc he operatic work (with exception of the unpreserved experi- Street. Starting in 1875 he studied at the Vienna Conserva- was principal of Royal Town Theatre orchestra, in Kassel’s ments of his youth). toire, and at the same time he attended the gymnasium Royal Theatre he was the conductor and choir director. In He composed ten symphonies; in 1908 he performed his in Jihlava as a private student (graduation examination in Prague he held the position of first conductor at the German Symphony No. 7 in e-minor in Prague for the first time. 1877). An important milestone in Gustav Mahler’s life was Royal Land Theatre, and he became the second conductor In 1908 he composed a cycle of songs called The Song the year of 1889, during which both his parents died. After of the Leipzig Town Theatre. In Budapest he took the posi- of the Earth, which ranks among his symphonies. Inspired by the estate had been settled Gustav Mahler left Jihlava for- tion of music director for the Royal Hungarian Opera, and in motifs of German fairy tales, Mahler composed the Sorrowful ever, however, he had the right of domicile there for the rest Hamburg he was the first conductor of the Town Theatre. Song cantata. of his life. The Vienna Court Opera in particular enjoyed its greatest Gustav Mahler also composed several songs accompa- In 1902 he married Alma Maria Schindler (†1964). The flowering under his leadership; the years of 1897 to 1907 nied by piano or orchestra, such as Songs of a Travelling marriage produced two daughters, Maria Anna (1902– marked the zenith of Mahler’s conducting career, which he Journeyman, songs inspired by texts of The Youth‘s Magic –1907) and Anna Justine (1904–1988). Gustav Mahler died ended in New York. Horn collection, or Songs on the Deaths of Children. in Vienna on May 18, 1911, at the age of 51. He is buried at the Vienna cemetery in Grinzing. 1 Family home of G. Mahler in Kaliště 2, 3 Bernard Mahler and his wife Marie 6 German Royal Land Theatre in Prague 4 Gustav Mahler in 1865 7 Gustav Mahler as the conductor of the German Royal 5 Brtnická (today’s Znojemská Street), to the right Land Theatre in Prague in 1885 houses listed in the land register as No. 264 and 265 on title page: Gustav Mahler in 1907 Gustav Mahler/ANGLICKY/vnitřek.