Alma Mahler, Composer

[Ricordanza]

This was a first for me. At an open rehearsal of the Philadelphia Orchestra, I heard four very appealing songs written by Alma Mahler, performed by mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill. Perhaps I should have referred to the composer as Alma Schindler, since she wrote these songs at age 20 or younger, before she married Gustav Mahler when she was 22 years old. The program notes say that Gustav "demanded that she give up composing to concentrate on the marriage and his career."

After hearing these wonderful songs, it made me wonder: In making this demand, was Gustav Mahler simply a (patriarchal) man of his times, or was he afraid of the competition???

The other piece on the program was Mahler's Seventh Symphony. It's still not among my favorites of the Mahler symphonies, but I gained additional appreciation for the work as Yannick led the Philadelphians in a run-through of the entire work, and then went back to adjust certain passages.

[maestrob]

Considering the mores of the time, I sincerely doubt that Mahler was afraid of the competition. Women simply had no rights at the time.

Alma Mahler's songs are quite something, aren't they? Who knows how she might have flowered 100 years or so later.

As for Gustav Mahler's Seventh Symphony, I've been a strong supporter of that symphony ever since I acquired Georg Solti's recording with the Chicago Symphony as a teenager. I think it's a brilliant work, but then I'm in love with all of his symphonies.

[Lance]

Seeing this post about ALMA Mahler, I am reminded a film that, as I recall, had Alma Mahler in it somehow - the Arthur Miller 1980 film, Playing for Time, about music making in the death camps during WW2. It made a huge and deep impression on me. Vanessa Redgrave wonderfully portrayed Fania Fenelon, one of the prisoners. The film was based on her autobiography, The Musicians of Auschwitz. To see what happens with musicians trying to find life in music and what they have to go through will curdle one's blood. Indeed, it may be another film about Gustav AND Alma Mahler that I recall seeing. As for Alma Mahler's songs, seems to me I have a recording of some of them somewhere. Will try to check it out. And like masestrob/Brian, I hardly think Mahler would prevent his wife from writing music no more than Robert Schumann did with Clara Wieck Schumann. It was just what women were subjected to during those times.

AFTER THOUGHT: I just realized it was violinist ALMA ROSÉ I was thinking about, not Alma Mahler. My apologies, but still, Playing for Time was very much mentioning. Truly touching film.

This was a first for me. At an open rehearsal of the Philadelphia Orchestra, I heard four very appealing songs written by Alma Mahler, performed by mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill. Perhaps I should have referred to the composer as Alma Schindler, since she wrote these songs at age 20 or younger, before she married Gustav Mahler when she was 22 years old. The program notes say that Gustav "demanded that she give up composing to concentrate on the marriage and his career."

After hearing these wonderful songs, it made me wonder: In making this demand, was Gustav Mahler simply a (patriarchal) man of his times, or was he afraid of the competition???

The other piece on the program was Mahler's Seventh Symphony. It's still not among my favorites of the Mahler symphonies, but I gained additional appreciation for the work as Yannick led the Philadelphians in a run-through of the entire work, and then went back to adjust certain passages.