In 1909, when the troubled New York Philharmonic Orchestra needed a leader to rejuvenate and reshape it, composer and conductor Gustav Mahler accepted the challenge. By instituting regular rehearsals, developing a season with forty-six concerts—tripling the previous number, and taking the orchestra on tour, Mahler spent the final two years of his life striving to make the New York Philharmonic the best orchestra in the country, and equal of any in the world. Gustav Mahler and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra Tour America documents Mahler's tours with the orchestra during the 1909 and 1910 seasons, detailing the conditions and preparations for each tour, the outcome of each concert, and the perceptions of audiences beyond New York City. Author Mary H. Wagner amassed data from more than 1,000 articles to present a thorough description of the planning and reception of the Philharmonic on its first tour outside New York. Starting with Mahler's decision to join the Philharmonic, the book describes the ways Mahler designed programs to appeal to American audiences, employing one hundred musicians on the tours and presenting works by Wagner, Strauss, Berlioz, and Bach to audiences, many of whom had never heard them played by a full romantic orchestra. The book also describes the touring conditions throughout America, providing a history of touring and orchestral development at the turn of the twentieth century.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
It is rare to find a focused study that serves as a point of departure for further research, but the approach behind Gustav Mahler and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra Tour America by Mary H. Wagner offers such a perspective....Those interested in this important aspect of Mahler's career...will encounter in this study some insights into the composer's deep impression on American culture... (Notes, Vol. 64, No. 1 (September 2007) )
Highly recommended. All readers; all levels. (Choice, April 2007 )
Wagner's ability to locate, organize, and subsequently present these thousands of newspaper articles, promotional materials and contracts in a coherent and enjoyable read is commendable....Wagner exhibits an admirable degree of focus...Readers will not only be rewarded with a fine documentary of Mahler's tour...but will also gain insights into the artistic, financial, and administrative challenges faced by the orchestra's past and present. (Naturlaut, vol. 6 no.1 )
Immensely informative....We emerge from this work with a rare picture of a musical genius....The documentation...remains precious. (American Music, December 2008 )
Mahler (1860-1911) is best known as a composer, but Wagner (music, U. of Michigan-Flint) describes how he helped reshape and transform the New York Philharmonic into a leading orchestra. The orchestra was reorganized in 1909, and wanted a new leader; Mahler accepted the challenge and spent his final two years meeting it. She documents his American tours with the orchestra, preparations for them, the outcome of each concert, and the perception of audiences beyond New York City. (Reference and Research Book News )
Highly recommended. All readers; all levels. (Choice, April 2007 )
Wagner's ability to locate, organize, and subsequently present these thousands of newspaper articles, promotional materials and contracts in a coherent and enjoyable read is commendable....Wagner exhibits an admirable degree of focus...Readers will not only be rewarded with a fine documentary of Mahler's tour...but will also gain insights into the artistic, financial, and administrative challenges faced by the orchestra's past and present. (Naturlaut, vol. 6 no.1 )
Immensely informative....We emerge from this work with a rare picture of a musical genius....The documentation...remains precious. (American Music, December 2008 )
Mahler (1860-1911) is best known as a composer, but Wagner (music, U. of Michigan-Flint) describes how he helped reshape and transform the New York Philharmonic into a leading orchestra. The orchestra was reorganized in 1909, and wanted a new leader; Mahler accepted the challenge and spent his final two years meeting it. She documents his American tours with the orchestra, preparations for them, the outcome of each concert, and the perception of audiences beyond New York City. (Reference and Research Book News )
About the Author
Mary H. Wagner is Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Michigan at Flint.
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