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Nina Spiegler (Lipiner-Hoffmann) (1855-1937).

Born: Nina Anna Hoffmann.

Nina Spiegler (Lipiner-Hoffmann) (1855-1937) was the girlfriend of Gustav Mahlers brother Otto Mahler (1873-1895)Otto Mahler (1873-1895) died 06-02-1895 in Vienna at the aged of 21. He shot himself in the head, leaving a note saying that life no longer pleased him so he “handed back his ticket”. Commited suicide in the apartment of Nina Spiegler (Lipiner-Hoffmann) (1855-1937) in Vienna.

Nick name: Nanna.

She married twice:

  1. First marriage: 1881-1885: Married to Siegfried Lipiner (1856-1911). Name: Nina Lipener-Hofmann. He later married Clementine Spiegler, the sister of Albert Spiegler (1856-1940). In 1888 she exits the Vienna IKG (married, aged 33). IKG is the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien (Vienna Israelite Community). It is the body that represents Vienna’s Orthodox Jewish community.
  2. Second marriage: 1891-1937: Married (10-08-1891 Bohemia Evangelical-Lutheran church, Prague) to Albert Spiegler (1856-1940). Name: Nina Spiegler-Hofmann. Their son Dr. (Physician) Gottfried Spiegler (born 13-05-1891 Berlin – died 1970, aged 78).

05-06-1896 letter from Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) to Friedrich Fritz Lohr (1859-1924): Mahler will visit Nina Spiegler (Lipiner-Hoffmann) (1855-1937) soon.

Bruno Walter (1876-1962) called Nina Spiegler (Lipiner-Hoffmann) (1855-1937) ” he heart of the Pernerstorfer Circle“. She organised dinners at Hartmann restaurant and placed flowers beside Gustav Mahlers’ plate. She is five years older than Gustav Mahler.

14-07-1899. Year 1899. Letter Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) to Nina Spiegler (Lipiner-Hoffmann) (1855-1937). 1/2

“You can’t write melodies with frozen fingers!” – Autograph Letter

Autograph letter from the important composer to his friend Nina Spiegler (“Nanna”), complaining of the cold and his difficulties composing, and mentioning Hans Richter, Robert Fuchs, and writer Siegfried Lipiner. [July 14, 1899.] 2 pp. Fold crease, minor spotting. Framed in a double-sided frame. Sight size 5.5 x 6 inches (13.5 x 15.8 cm), framed to 7 x 8 inches.

Translated from the German, in full: “My dearest Nana, I am a terrible person not to have written to you yet (I meant to every day), and I remain a terrible person, because even today all I have to say is that I’m not going to write to you, but give you my best wishes and tell you that my thoughts are very often with you both. This year things have gone very badly for me! In the middle I lost the thread of everything, and I cannot pick all these threads up again. I feel quite miserable about it, as though I had something serious on my conscience. I’m afraid the spa music and the dreadful water is to blame for that! A stove in my room might have been my Muse—but you can’t write melodies with frozen fingers!—really it’s only a slight consolation! I’ll have to move in again on August 1st—against all the best practices, since Richter is in Bayreuth and Fuch’s Meisterhaus is not in the necessary condition as a consequence of a broken wine bottle (the only connection that this good man has with Dionysius). O! Oh! Oh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Aaaaaaa! These my sounds of distress to you! And you, poor thing! Lipiner’s Adam is a wonderful thing! I have locked it in my heart, and am very happy with it! Many best wishes to you and Albert from your hanged Gustav.”

14-07-1899. Year 1899. Letter Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) to Nina Spiegler (Lipiner-Hoffmann) (1855-1937). 2/2

Nina Spiegler was a close friend of Gustav Mahler and a central figure in the Pernerstorfer circle a group of Viennese intellectuals formed in the 1870’s which was an important forum for Mahler’s music. She was married to the writer Siegfried Lipiner (1856-1911), mentioned in the present letter as the author of the play ‘ Adam’ , from 1881 to 1885; in 1891 she married Albert Spiegler (1856-1940), another member of her Viennese circles.

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