Gustav Mahler

The Profile

Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) was an Austro‑Bohemian late‑Romantic composer and conductor. He directed the Vienna Court Opera (1897–1907) and later worked in New York. He completed nine symphonies, major song cycles, and left the Tenth unfinished.

Mahler died in 1911 and did not live to hear the premiere of his Ninth Symphony. His Eighth is known as the 'Symphony of a Thousand.' He left his Tenth Symphony unfinished (only the Adagio completed).

Five passionate reviews trace Mahler’s arc from intimate Lieder to monumental symphonies. Themes of death, hope, and transcendence recur, from the Resurrection’s choral blaze to the Fifth’s Adagietto and the Ninth’s tender Ländler. Writers highlight orchestral color, structural daring, and emotional depth. The overall verdict is reverent and enthusiastic.