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 artist must be a philosopher.
Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing.
The conductor must be a poet.
My music is a struggle for meaning.
The most important thing in art is beauty.
Music is the breath of life.
The conductor must be a magician.
My music is a journey into the unknown.
The most important thing in music is silence.
Music is the voice of God.
The conductor must be a prophet.
The artist must be a demon.
My music is a prayer.
The most important thing in art is passion.
Music is the ultimate truth.
The conductor must be a visionary.
The artist must be a martyr.
My music is like a dream, a dream of a dream, a dream of a dream of a dream.
A symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.
The artist is the one who has the courage to be alone.
Contemporaries of Gustav Mahler
Other Musics born within 50 years of Gustav Mahler (1860–1911).