Saturday, December 14, 2024

Program

• The paths of Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) crossed on numerous occasions, eventually leading to a friendship of deep mutual admiration.
  ● Mahler was a giant on the stage of Vienna’s cultural life whose uncompromising devotion to art, while controversial to his contemporaries, served as an important inspiration for Schoenberg and his generation.
  ● Once he recognized the younger man’s genius, Mahler supported him behind the scenes, financially, and in connecting him to some of the elite of the performance world. The personal support continued through a warm friendship with Alma that would accompany Schoenberg until the end of his life in California.
  ● Schoenberg, for his part, honored Mahler in numerous ways, famously calling him a “saint” and including a touching recollection of the great composer’s funeral in his Opus 19, No. 6.
  ● In the 150 th anniversary year of Schoenberg’s birth, we are joined by the Director of the Arnold Schoenberg Center in Vienna, Ulrike Anton, as we explore the biographies and interactions of the two composers.

Guests

Ulrike Anton, Director, Arnold Schoenberg Center, Vienna