Why Mahler?: How One Man and Ten Symphonies Changed Our World
Lebrecht, host of a BBC interview series on the arts, has a keen interest in Gustav Mahler dating back at least to his Mahler Remembered (1988), a collection of remembrances of Mahler by his contemporaries. Here Lebrecht leads readers through the composer’s turbulent personal life, the anti-Semitic European political milieu in which he moved, and the music of his time, concluding with an examination of Mahler’s 10 symphonies (one unfinished) and songs. So, why Mahler? Because he was at the center of seismic shifts in art, psychology, philosophy, politics, and music that still shape today’s world, Lebrecht argues. The author discusses recordings of each symphony and set of songs, and he offers a thoughtful coda to help new listeners find an entry to those points “where the Mahler fortress becomes a private refuge.” --Alan Moores