New Illustrated Lives of Great Composers: Mahler

Book excerpt: Mahler’s life was a remarkably complex one, his success as a conductor continually overshadowed by his craving for recognition as a composer. Recognition which never came in his lifetime. In this biography, the author reveals how Mahler’s personality, his extraordinary life and his music are inseparable. New light is shed on his strange relationship with Alma Mahler, his wife, and on his turbulent love affairs. In Vienna, where he directed the Opera, Mahler was a prime target for rumour mongers. Nothing he did, whether private or public, escaped the attention of a Vienna avid for details of his personal life. The author portrays vividly the conflict which arose from the demands made on Mahler by his enormously successful career, and his desperate desire to pursue the creation of great music. Illustrated with portraits of the people who made up Mahler’s world and photographs of places associated with him, this book unfolds Mahler’s story with impressive psychological insight.