‘Amsterdam, which has quickly become a second musical home for me’, wrote Gustav Mahler to Willem Mengelberg in 1904. When Mahler premiered his Third Symphony in 1902 in Krefeld (Germany), Willem Mengelberg, conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, was among the audience. Fascinated by what he heard, he invited Mahler to conduct this symphony in Amsterdam as well.
It was the beginning of a series of guest appearances, in which the composer conducted his own work. But also the prelude to the famous Mahler tradition in The Netherlands, which, through the Mahler Festival of 1920, is alive and vibrant to this day.
This book Mahler and the Netherlands contains 73 letters, mostly from Gustav Mahler to Willem Mengelberg, composer Alphons Diepenbrock and the famous baritone Johannes Messchaert. They were introduced and commented in detail by musicologist Eduard Reeser (1908-2002). Most of these letters were already published in German and commented in Reeser’s Mahler und Holland. This is the first English edition, revised, extended and illustrated.
Contributors
- Eduard Reeser (ed.) (1908-2002)
- Frits Zwart (ed.); Freddy van Maurik (ed.); Eveline Nikkels (foreword)
Specifications
- Medium: full color, hardbound book
- Released: December 2024
- Language: English
- Extent: 176 p.
- ISBN: 978 90 8185 884 7
Price and order information
- Current and new contributors ‘Friends’ of the Dutch Gustav Mahler Foundation: one copy for free (excluding shipping costs and while stocks last).
- Others: € 35, (excluding shipping costs).
Shipping costs
- The Netherlands: € 10,-
- Europe: € 17,50
- Rest of the World: € 20,-
Orders can be placed by transferring the applicable amount to NL29 INGB 0000 1456 77 (BIC INGB NL 2A) in the name of Gustav Mahler Stichting Nederland, referencing ‘Mahler and the Netherlands’. Don’t forget to mention your name and address!
Information and offers for (book) dealers and bulk purchase, please contact our treasurer: penningmeester@gmsn.nl