Mahler began his Fifth Symphony during his summer holiday in 1901, completing it in 1902 after his marriage to Alma Schindler, a woman of considerable talents.
Performer Biography
James DePreist, the conductor on this album, is widely esteemed as one of America's finest conductors and was selected by Leonard Bernstein to be an assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic.
Recording & Production
This recording was made at Abbey Road Studios in London on April 29th and 30th, 2005, with Michael Fine as producer and editor.
Composer Biography
Mahler, born into a humble Jewish family in Bohemia, studied at the Conservatory in Vienna and later became a renowned conductor, eventually directing the Vienna Court Opera.
Cultural Impact
The Adagietto from Mahler's Fifth Symphony, a love-poem for his future wife Alma Schindler, was made famous by its use in Luchino Visconti's film Death in Venice.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gustav Mahler, the composer, enlarged the symphony through expanded form, a larger orchestra, and the use of song, extending Beethoven's Choral Symphony tradition.
Compositional Technique
Mahler's Fifth Symphony is scored for a large orchestra, using instruments in new ways and exploring extremes of their range, marking the beginning of a new musical world.
