Gustav Mahler
Visionary symphonist who bridged Romanticism and Modernism
Most quoted
"The important thing is never to let oneself be guided by the opinion of one's contemporaries; to continue steadfastly on one's way without letting oneself be either defeated by failure or diverted by applause."
— from Letter, 1902
"The further I get in my development, the more I see that the ultimate goal of the artist is to achieve *through his art* the picture of the world which is purely his own."
— from Letter to Max Marschalk, 1896
"The point is not to take the world's opinion as a guiding star but to go one's way in life and working unerringly, neither depressed by failure nor seduced by applause."
— from Letter to Max Kalbeck, 1902
All quotes by Gustav Mahler (346)
The symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.
Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.
If a composer could say what he had to say in words, he would not bother trying to say it in music.
My music is always about myself, about my life, about my experiences.
The artist must create a world, not merely reflect one.
What is best in music is not to be found in the notes.
The most important thing in music is not to be afraid of the notes.
The artist is a prophet, not a reporter.
The greatest music is that which is not understood at first hearing.
Music is the language of the soul.
The artist must be a revolutionary.
My time will come.
The artist must be alone.
The artist must suffer.
The artist must be a visionary.
The artist must be a dreamer.
The artist must be a madman.
The artist must be a god.
The artist must be a devil.
The artist must be a child.
Contemporaries of Gustav Mahler
Other Musics born within 50 years of Gustav Mahler (1860–1911).