Mahler: The man and his music

by Egon Gartenberg

Discusses all Mahler's compositions in chronological order as well as portraying the composer's life and his relationships with such contemporaries as Brahms, Strauss, and Schoenberg

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography

406 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Brendan Korey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biography is the best part of this book. I went not knowing much about Mahler and was very entertained by his fascinating life. The middle section of photos was a unnecessary but appreciated touch. The final third on Mahler's music was where it lost me. I am a classical musician myself, but found myself a little lost on all the analogies and pedantic descriptions of Mahler's symphonies. Aside from this, a worthwhile read.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

WooHoo! Finished. It was a three for me and somewhere along the way became a four star experience. I really enjoyed it. I had never heard of Gustav Mahler. One complaint. The formatting bothered me a little and made reading a little harder. Sally, you are right."Chapterettes" would have been nice. Smaller chapters with headings. Still found it fascinating. The last part of the book gives info on all ten symphonies. Meaning, inspiration, etc.

[Mark Dickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowledgeable biographical and musical background for listening to Mahler, one of the great musical adventures (I recommend the Boulez recordings).