Today, we celebrate the 150th birthday of the man who said farewell to tonality. He saw the end, and lamented it with every note. The last great romantic symphonist, Gustav Mahler.
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There are countless stories, books, blogs, biographies… There is so much more to hear than to say!
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Here are my favorite three Mahler videos for you.
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Bernard Haitink in what is the greatest ending of Mahler’s 2nd I can imagine:
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Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, and Bernard Haitink rehearse Mahler with the phenomenal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the greatest orchestra in the world.
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And Mahler cries out, one last time. In the final moments of his unfinished 10th symphony, Mahler resolves an incredible dissonance with a moment of such grace… In that final moment, I always hear Mahler saying that he wasn’t at all ready to die.
For wonderful reflections on Mahler, see:
The Alex Ross, the Mahler Archives, Wikipedia, and Mahler Owes Me Ten Bucks.