Amazon.com Review

Evaluating with exemplary judiciousness the masses of material about Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), British journalist Jonathan Carr pens a highly readable biography. Whether describing the composer's youth in Central Europe, triumphs as a conductor in Vienna and New York, or stormy marriage to Alma Schindler, Carr elucidates Mahler's complex nature without presuming to "explain" it. Devilish or saintly? Cunning or naive? Extrovert or withdrawn? "He was all these things," writes Carr, "brandishing his contradictions in music of stinging intensity." Mahler's compositions and personality gain new dimensions from this fresh, nuanced approach.

From Library Journal

Carr, a British journalist living in Germany, has been researching Gustav Mahler's life and attending performances of his music since 1960. His concise, caring portrait turns flinty (and more captivating) whenever Mahler's wife, Alma, is the subject. By turns Carr describes, quotes, argues with, dismisses, apparently mistranslates, and yields to her, making plain his conflicting feelings toward her. Catalogers of this book should add a subject entry for Alma, for just over half the book focuses on Mahler's life and music after marriage. A popular, opinionated treatment using new evidence from a postcard here, an item "tucked away" in an archive there, this book ends with a useful bibliographic/discographic essay. A good choice for biography collections. ABonnie Jo Dopp, Performing Arts Lib., Univ. of Maryland Lib.

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