Educational Media Reviews Online

In November 2000, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio One and Radio Two held a week-long Mahler celebration, including live concerts, recorded music, the launching of a large website, and three “documentaries” chronicling Mahler’s life and work. For more about the whole program, see http://radio.cbc.ca/specials/mahler/, which remains a useful (commercial-free!) site, filled with mostly still-working links to more information about Mahler. The 3-CD set under review comprises the documentaries that Radio Two broadcast as parts of the humanities program “Ideas.” Covering all Mahler’s creative life, the programs include interviews with Mahler scholars and interpreters, audio visits to places Mahler lived and worked (some of which have been preserved as shrines to the composer), dramatic readings from letters and contemporary written commentary concerning Mahler, as well as excerpts from most of Mahler’s symphonies and several of his vocal works. One of the script writers, Marilyn Powell, delivers an intense narration sotto voce adding to the feeling of intimacy ‘listening to the radio’ can produce when speakers seem to invite their audience to “come closer, and I’ll tell you something really fascinating.” These CDs provide plenty of audio variety, and a satisfying depth of treatment is achieved over the three-hour span. Fans of Mahler’s music will learn more about the man; those who’ve read biographies will hear a good selection of music; everyone is likely to want to go on from here for more. The title, which might lead some to think the ‘Two Mahlers’ featured are Gustav and Alma (Alma does appear, but not prominently), refers mainly to Gustav’s two careers: conductor, composer. Other dichotomies are present: born a Jew, Mahler converted to Catholicism; thriving as a conductor in cities, he retreated to the country and small ‘composing huts’ to create his symphonies and songs; born in one century, he recognized that his music would be fully appreciated only long after his death in the next.

The technical quality of the CDs is high, but I wish ‘tracks’ had been added as place markers to various points in the programs. Public and college library collections serving people interested in classical music (Mahler in particular) should add this item and might even program it for group listening, supported by displays of related books and recordings.

As far as I know, this audio documentary treatment of Mahler’s life and work is in a class by itself, combining biography, dramatic readings from letters, interviews, illustrative musical passages, and spoken ‘program notes’ on the music. It is an incomparable bargain as well and will strengthen any collection that acquires it.