Mahler: a Life

Jonathan Carr has written an enjoyable, highly readable biography of Mahler. He makes the point several times that the common tendency to associate Mahler’s personal circumstances with his music is off-base. As with so many composers, musical compositions may differ significantly from the mood or circumstances of the creators' lives and Carr gives several examples in Mahler’s case. To paraphrase Mahler himself, circumstances may provide the impetus to begin a piece but never determine the content as a whole. As other reviewers have noted, Carr spends more time going over Mahler’s earlier works than his later ones. This is true but the only real problem I had with the book was that the tone of the book changes when Carr is discussing Mahler’s wife. This is especially true in chapter five, “Alma.” Undoubtedly, Carr is right on many points but the writing about Alma comes across very much as a matter of the author's feelings or judgments about her. This is a difficult topic since Mahler’s relationship with his wife was a complex one. But a little more distance by the author would have helped.Nevertheless, this is a very good biography. It gives the reader a strong and believable sense of Mahler’s character and personality and at the same time presents an insightful view of music in Vienna (and New York) around the turn of the 20th century. Definitely worth pursuing by anyone unfamiliar with Mahler’s life and music.

Mahler had parents who did not get on, even though they had many children. I suppose that is the case with many marriages. Gustav was one of 14 children, only seven survived, of whom he was the eldest.He grew up in Iglau, Moravia. Here he heard the military tunes from the local barracks, Saturday night dance tunes, folk music,and he could roam the quiet countryside. Carr destroys the myth that Gustav rushed outside after his parents were arguing and heard an organ grinder playing a kitch tune. This so the story goes had an effect on his symphonies. In fact,Carr suggests he had part of his gentle mother and go ahead father in him, this is why he wrote the way he did. In fact his father who loved learning, had enough insight to send him to a music teacher, and allowed him to go to the Vienna Conservatory. He later became the Vienna Operas director.When he met and married Alma, he was 41 and she 22. She was the intellectuals pin up girl.Her father was a artist and her stepfather one as well. She mixed in intellectual company. However,she had an overrated opinion of her intelligence and composing ability. She wanted to be Mahlers muse. He told her what he expected from her, to devote herself to him. She wanted him and got what she deserved. Mahler composed in a hut and did not need her for this activity. There is no doubt he was difficult, but he was honest with her. Later on in life after he died in 1911, she got her revenge in her mostly untruthful books on her life with Gustav.She was no Cosima Wagner, who worshipped at the masters feet.Mahler liked the works of Wagner, who both believed in reincarnation. A fact often not mentioned in biographies about them. Carr destroys the myths so beloved of many music lovers and academics. He explains what the various symphonies are about and where the influences come from. You could say his 9 symphonies were one big symphony ,each a continuation of the other. His first four, a search for meaning and the rest about him, and mans interaction with his surroundings. He was not preoccupied with himself as Alma asserts.He was extremely fit as Roller wrote. He exercised, swam and was a strong man. This book is a new look at Mahler, which fans will enjoy. It is well written and an easy read. Not written in the dry academic way, which bores the hell out of most readers.

Something funny happens when you write a review of this rarest, most precious of things: a perfect biography. You don't feel like talking too much. You feel like saying to anyone interested in the subject: "You can't go on living without reading it". That's all there is to it. I bought this book because I'm working on something in which Mahler appears as a character giving advice to the lead, who is supposed to have been his student. Although the whole thing happens in the lead's imagination, I didn't want the imaginary Mahler to be too implausible. So I researchd to see what biography was considered the best and ordered the one by Jonathan Carr.I think anyone who decides to write a biography should read a certain number of books before starting out: a highly selected list of biographies that bring immense credit to the genre, like the two colossal works by Richard Ellmann on Oscar Wilde and James Joyce, Wolfgang Hildesheimer's book on Mozart, Ernest J. Simmons' on Chekhov, Peter Gay's on Freud, David Robinson's on Chaplin, and a few more. Not many. To that list I would most emphatically add this extraordinary book.

An incredibly well written biography that debunks many of the myths surrounding Mahler’s works and personal life. The author also includes a great list of recording recommendations, recordings which no doubt are much easier to find now than in 1998 when the book was published. A must read for any Mahler fan.

This is truly a great book. I've read few biographies that are this thorough without bothering with every time the subject wiped his nose or had the diarrhea! The author really knew Mahler well and really gave us a good presentation of ALL his works which are quite scholarly analyses.

Carr's biography does a great job of sharing with his readers the complex, fascinating personality that was Mahler.

Jonathan Carr in this brief biography not only shows a deep understanding of Mahler's life and music but also writes in a clear, easy style with many entertaining anecdotes. It's an excellent introduction to to Mahler. Carr discusses various interpretations of events in Mahler's life and their relation to his music, giving his own and alternate views as well.

I am reading it at present with much pleasure. So far -- half way through -- it's an excellent biography of the man.