Born: May 7, 1860, his parents were Bernhard and Marie, they had 14 children but only 6 survived.
Birthplace: Kaliste, Bohemia
Died: May 18, 1911 in Vienna due to bacterial endocarditis
Also Known As: Composer known for his powerful and emotional music, most of which was influenced by his life's tragedies. He was also a well-respected conductor who lead several prominent symphony orchestras. Mahler was a perfectionist which may be the reason why many of his compositions took several years to finish. He was married to Alma Schindler on March 9, 1902 and they had two daughters; Anna, who became a sculptress and Maria Anna who died at age 5.
Type of Compositions: Mahler is known for his opera, songs, cantatas and symphonies which he wrote in several keys. Some of his works require a huge orchestra, for example, the "Eighth Symphony in E flat" also called the Symphony of A Thousand.
Influence: As a child Mahler and his family moved to Iglau, Moravia where they lived near the town square. Concerts were frequently held in the town square which gave Mahler initial exposure to music. He also studied under several musicians in the area and was playing the piano by age 6. He was accepted into the Vienna Conservatory when he was 15, where he studied piano under Julius Epstein. Mahler later on studied composition.
Notable Works: His works include: "Il Trovatore", "Das Lied von der Erde" (The Song of the Earth), "Eighth Symphony in E flat" (Symphony of A Thousand)and "Kindertotenlieder" (Songs of the Death of Children). Mahler wrote nine symphonies, the tenth was left unfinished.
Interesting Fact:: He worked as Royal Musical and Choral Director in Kassel from 1883 to 1885, worked in Budapest, Leipzig and Prague from 1885 to 1891 and became chief conductor of the Hamburg Stadttheater in 1891. Mahler later became Kapellmeister of the Vienna Philharmonic and after several months became director. He conducted the New York Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra from 1907 to 1910. Mahler's music is very much influenced by tragic incidents in his life. For example, he wrote "Kindertotenlieder" (Songs of the Death of Children) after his daughter, Maria Anna, died of scarlet fever.
Music Sample: Music clips of Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of A Thousand)
