New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-21
DEATH Of Mr.. MAILER
HIS INFLUENCE ON MUSIC IN
NEW YORK
Conductor at the Opera House and OF
the Philharmonic Society.


ductive Of disappointment to him. and also
70 others than Of delight there was moth
ing thu, happened TO him here which could
nv any stretch Of the imagination be con
strued a. even a remote cause OF the
disease which brought about his death He
was sick man when he came to New
York three years ago. His troubles with
the administration OF the Philharmonic
were Of his own creation. for he might
have had the absolute power which he en-
loved for a space IN Vienna had he de-
sired H. He was paid sum OF money
which ought 20 have seemed to him fahu-
lous from the day on which he came tin
the day when his labors ended and the
MONEY was given 10 him ungrudgingly.
though the investment was a poor one for
the opera company which brought him TO
America and the concert organizations
which kept him here He was looked upon
as great artist and possibly he was one
but he failed 20 convince the people Of New
York Of the fact and therefore his Ameri-
can career was not A success. His infu-
ence was rot helpful but preiudicial 10
good taste II IS unpleasant TO say such
things. but sense of duty demands that
they be said.
Gustav Mailer was horn at Kalischt. in
Bohemia on July :. 1850. His parents were
Jews but when he went ~ Vienna in an
Official capacity he. like so many Aus
irisns. thought il eXpedient to embrace
Christianity Concerning this incident i'm
his career 4 characteristic anocdotc is told
Some Of his friends expressed thcir sur
prise that he should have been baptized
into the Roman Catholic Church when
there remained what they thought a mid
die course in some form Of Professionalism
.'Wenn schon. dem sChon," is said 10 have
been Mahler's contentious reply. The spirit
Of the familiar phrase Is not 10 be eN-
pressed 10 English. A. lad H. studied
at the cymnasia Of lelau and Prague and
later matricuated az the University of
Vienna There, too. he entered the Con-
servatory when he decided 10 become
musician This was in lslL Three years
later he began conducting i'm some OF TIE
smaller Austrian towns. and IN 1853 he re-
ceived an appointment as second chapel
master Al Cassel. In 1885 he followed the
late Anton Seidl a. first chapelmaster at
Prague. and a year later he succeeded him
at the Municipal Theatre in Leipsic, where
he was associated with Arthur Nikisch. II
vas eminently characteristic of the man
was reve-ed Ia seldom il ever. mentioned
him. His next appointments were at Buda-
rest and al the Stadt Theatre in HAMBURG.
Thence his reputation AS a conductor grew
and spread rapidly until in May. 1897. he
was called 20 Vienna first "a conductor
and five months later rs director OF the
Court opera. as successor 20 Nllhelm jam
He was elected TO conduct the Philharmonic
concerts i'm the Austrian capital and also
the GeseUschaf, concerts In spite OF
great deal Of friction in all his actNites'
he made himself the autocrat Of musical
Vienna. and so remained till shortly before
lie came TO New York in December i'V"
When he first went to Vienna Manner III
troduced many changes some Of Which
were not looked upon i'm the light OF re-
forms. hut he adhered TO them and built
UP a party which has made itself trouoIe-
some 10 all his successors since. tie "aS
prodgal i'm the expenditure OF money anu
in experimenting with singers who came on
trial eneagements-as guests. 10 use ih'
German phrase. When he was accused OF
breaking traditions ne said. Traditions
mean slothfulneSs" There are many stories
current OF the Independence with which ne
enforced his Will and pursued the course
+, was said that even the Emperor wish
had no weight with him. once the En-
percr had 1t notified TO him that he wanted
to have an opera produced which had oeen
cornosed bv one Of the archdukes Having
a poor opinion Of the work. Mailer replied
Il recognize the Emperor command. but
not his wish" The speech having been
ieported 10 the Emperor. he smilingly Cd
served: In matters artistic do not give
am command" And the archduke opera
fell b, the wayside Many stories were
curren, as 10 the causes which nnaly led
10 his resignation. one Of them having
more or less Of a parallel with one i'm some
DEGREE associated with his departure from
New York al the close Of the season lately
ended An ardent patroness or Herr NJ ~
Ter q decade ago was the Princess Pauline
Nettornich who arranged the Philharmonic
concerts given under his direction m. PARIS
AZ tic time of the international exposition
eleven ears ago and was also the project
or Of the musical and dramatic exposition
held in Vienna few wears before Manner
exacted more obedience from the musicians
n, the orchestra AZ the Philharmonic con-
certs than they felt inclined 20 yield 70 q
conductor whom they had themselves elect
Ell The sympathies and influence OF me
Princess Metternich we're given to the mu-
sicians and so the story goes. she COM
rlained 81 his want Of consideration OF
then, ~ the Princess MONTENEGRO, wife or
the Er,peror's representative in musical
and theatrical affairs She also objected
70 Nshler's persistent efforts 70 brine about
q representation Of "Salome, which had
been frouned upon by the court Nheh
N,hler fnarv handed m his resignation
tie princess is said promptly 70 have tele-
graz he'd 10 Mo,,l 20 apply for tho post
Under his administration the expenses OF
the Cour, opera are said 70 have heen
trebled Like few others. said "r'er
IN IN. "Tageblstt ~ Berlin. A. the time
MAILER has demon stratcd that 1t is neces-
sarv 20 throw money out Of the window IN
theatrical management IN order 10 see u
stream in at the door" Yet IL has been
ureed in behalf Of Mahler's administration
that he never wrought deficit Of alarming
dimensions. a. On his more economical
predecessors The experience Of the New
York enterprises which Herr Mailer d.
rec,ed were different He was brought here
o. one Of the conductors Of the Metropoii-
tan Opera House by Heinrich Conried in
the season OF lso7-'0s. arriving in the city on
December q 1901 AMI effectns his hrst
appearance as conductor on January J.
1905. I'm Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, a
Performance also made notable by the
debut Of Nine Fremstad in the role OF the
heroine Mahler's work was greatly adj
inired By the reviewers for tho newspapers
and the public, but Il was in no sense reVo-