This remarkable collection of contemporary reviews and essays relating to Gustav Mahler is a revelation. Not only do we come away with a deep appreciation of the high standards of Viennese music criticism, including one of its preeminent practitioners, Julius Korngold of the Neue Freie Presse, but we gain a new understanding of the nuances and complexities of the Viennese reception of Mahers activities and legacy as a composer, conductor, and opera administrator. With insightful commentary and valuable background annotations, Michael Haas challenges us to rethink received notions of fin-de-sičcle musical modernism, cultural politics, German nationalism, and the ever-pertinent question of antisemitism in an environment in which many of Mahlers most ardent critics (and champions) were themselves Jewish. A most welcome addition to the literature.
- Christopher Hailey, Director, Franz Schreker Foundation
Frequently seen as a victim of anti-Semitic criticism in the Vienna of his day, Mahlers later reputation actually owed much to Jewish criticism of the period, above all to that of the influential Julius Korngold. In giving us access to this fascinating writer (father of the ultimately more famous composer) and others of his contemporaries, Michael Haas provides invaluable access to a rich field of criticism not otherwise readily available to the non-German reader.
- Peter Franklin, Emeritus Fellow, University of Oxford
Haas's efforts have produced a volume which opens a window into Mahler's professional life in Vienna and the characters which populated it that we've never had before. This is a hugely important contribution to Mahler scholarship as it offers a far more nuanced, balanced and detailed picture of Mahler's years in Vienna.
- Kenneth Woods
