Over the years, a number of authoritative books documenting the
life and music of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) have emerged. Several
of these are noteworthy including those by Mahler scholars Kurt
Blaukopf, Henri-Louis de la Grange, Constantin Floros and Donald
Mitchell. The multi-volume biography by Prof. de la Grange from
the Bibliothèque Musicale Gustav Mahler (Gustav Mahler Music Library)
in Paris has been dubbed
the definitive
Mahler study.
Originally in French and later translated into English, the four
volumes, with the latest and final one published by Oxford University
Press in the Spring of 2008, have established themselves as indispensable
for scholars, musicians and a worldwide network of Mahler fans
(or “Mahlerites”). This tetralogy has proven as a whole an insightful
and critical perspective on each of the creative periods forming
the short but fruitful life of Gustav Mahler. His research has
stimulated and opened doors for many subsequent writers further
to explore those fascinating elements that meet to make Mahler
one of the most fascinating and quintessential musical figures
of the 20
th century.
2010-2011 are two important years for Mahlerites. They are respectively
the 150
th and 100
th anniversaries of the
birth and death of the composer. A number of creative outputs
in the form of books, documentaries, dramas and/or musical compositions
are now underway from across the world to mark these anniversaries.
This Spring saw the official release of this important biography
written by Mr. John Searight. There may be some out there who
are itching to throw in the question: why another biography on
Gustav Mahler, and what makes this one stand out?
Mr. Searight has co-published this timely biography with the Gustav
Mahler Society in the United Kingdom (GMSUK), in part to question
the validity of a popular conundrum: “Was Mahler a death-obsessed
depressive?” Mr. Searight has behind him a deep interest and depth
of knowledge on the life, music and philosophies underpinning
Mahler and his influence on the history of music. This biography
is more than simply a compelling read and even Mahler converts
will be further enriched.
This work reflects years of dedicated scholarly research travelling
across Europe to acquire first-hand information, culminating in
a biography of seventeen chapters. Each chapter provides its readers
with a balanced and structured bipartite framework. Firstly the
factual evidence of scrupulous research is presented from published
books, interviews and letters in a third-person narrative format;
secondly, there is a succinct analysis of each of the major symphonic
works, interspersed with comments of his own or from musicians
of the past or present day. These examples include quotations
acquired from such conductors as Michael Tilson Thomas who described,
for instance the
Sixth Symphony as, “‘wrecks my health’,
finding that when he is preparing for a performance he suffers
from disturbed sleep, palpitations, poor appetite and a general
failure to function properly (p.240).” Footnotes for these quoted
examples would have helped readers identify the provenance of
these quotations and impressions. Sadly the bibliography at the
back of the book does not help in this regard. Otherwise I find
this a most creative and stimulating blend of facts and impressions
- a major asset.
Except in the first and last chapters of this biography Mr. Searight
parallels each biographical reflection a concise critique of the
major compositions in chronological order, beginning with
Das
klagende Lied,
ending with the unfinished
Tenth
Symphony. These flank studies of the
9 Symphonies,
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesllen, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Ruckert
Lieder, Kindertotenlieder. Mr. Searight provides compelling
evidence that lifts the harmony of circles and sticks on a music
stave into the allusions through which Mahler pours out his soul:
memories, perception and understanding - all the innate components
defining the human psyche. In the third movement of the
Third
Symphony (p.110), the illustration of the ‘forest murmurs’
is projected by a distant off-stage post-horn call. The importance
of this post-horn entry is here described as ‘the introduction
of man into the animal world. The effect is magical; doubtless
a nostalgic memory from his childhood and the bugle calls from
the barracks (p.111).” These explanations help to guide readers
with an understanding of the underlying purposes of Mahler’s orchestration.
They serve to prime readers in their appreciation of this music
next time it is heard.
Along the way Searight highlights Mahler’s interations with his
contemporaries and those to follow, either as a conductor or as
a composer. Particular emphasis is given to the relationship between
Mahler and his noted protégés, Bruno Walter, and to a lesser degree,
Otto Klemperer. He also demonstrates how Mahler’s ingenious musical
forms had propagated the creativity of composers of later generations.
Readers will uncover, for example, how the application of symphonic
principles to a song-cycle as in
Das Lied von der Erde was
instrumental in composers like Zemlinsky and Shostakovich adapting
and expanding their imaginative armoury as testified by their
Lyrische Symphonie and the
Fourteenth Symphony,
respectively (p.329).
There’s a vivid description of how the infamous “Deryck Cooke
Version” of the unfinished Mahler’s
Tenth Symphony came
into being. This includes the sequence of events that led to the
Tenth’s complete performance at a Promenade concert in
the Royal Albert Hall on 13 August 1964.
Where are we after reading this book? Are we convinced that “Mahler
was a death-obsessed depressive”? Yes, perhaps. There are numerous
references in Mahler’s music that depict sorrow and it can even
stimulate pain-stricken emotions. Insights into an unhappy childhood
are heard in his earliest major composition
Das klagende Lied.
Later in Mahler’s personal adult life he was faced with the unexpected
premature death of his daughter Maria Anna. This gave rise to
his influential song-cycle
Kindertotenlieder. Then there
are those “The Three Hammer Blows of Fate” in the
Sixth Symphony.
These are evidence for the thesis. Ultimately however Mr. Searight
underscores in this biography that Mahler’s music represents the
balance between life and death, hope and despair. At the end,
as represented by his final composition (the
Ninth Symphony),
an underlying optimism is presented to “shoulder the passages
of happiness, wit, beauty and elation.” In retrospect, Mr. Searight
has already given his readers a hint of his stance in the title
he has chosen for this biography. “To Live for You! To Die for
You!” is part of an inscription off the manuscript of the unfinished
Tenth Symphony, which Mahler dedicated to his
Almschi
(Alma Mahler). Although life and death are mentioned in this
quotation and in many of his compositions, what Mahler’s music
enforces is not simply life and death, but the human experience
called “love” which is at the core of the human psyche.
This is a telling account summarizing the life and achievements
of Gustav Mahler in an easy-to-read document. Although there are
some minor spelling and grammatical errors this book has proven
an indispensable read for 2009 in preparation for the anniversary
years to follow.
Leonard Bernstein infamously said in a
High Fidelity article
in April 1967: Mahler’s time
has come. I doubt that it
can be said better.
Patrick P.L. Lam
