Johann Paul Friedrich Richter (1763-1825), who wrote under the pseudonym Jean Paul (1763-1825), is known to have been Mahler’s favorite author.

It was he who wrote the novel Titan that briefly lent its name to Symphony No. 1 – a name by which it is again known today. 

For the 1893 Hamburg and 1894 Weimar performances, Mahler gave the piece the title ‘Titan’ after the novel by Jean Paul, although Mahler specified that the piece was not in any way ‘about’ the book; the nickname is often used today, but properly only applies to two versions.

Year 1889. 19-11-1889 Letter from Mahler about Titan at the Budapest Opera House.