Experiencing Mahler surveys the symphonies and major song sets of Gustav Mahler, presenting them not just as artworks but as vivid and deeply felt journeys. Mahler took the symphony, perhaps the most tradition-bound genre in Western music, and opened it to the widest span of human experience. He introduced themes of love, nature, the chasmic depth of midnight, making peace with death, facing rebirth, seeking one's creator, and being at one with God. Arved Ashby offers the non-specialist a general introduction into Mahler's seemingly unbounded energy to investigate the elements that make each work an experiential adventure--one that has redefined the symphonic genre in new ways. In addition to the standard nine symphonies, Ashby discusses Das Lied von der Erde, the three most commonly heard song sets (the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Kindertotenlieder, and R?ckert-Lieder), and the unfinished Tenth Symphony (in Cooke's edition). Experiencing Mahler is a far-reaching and often provocative search for meaning in the music of one of the most beloved composers of all time.
Arved Ashby is professor of music at the Ohio State University, where he specializes in 20th and 21st century art music as well as cultural history and media and communications. He has published articles on Arnold Schoenberg, Frank Zappa, and Benjamin Britten, and he has taught classes on topics as varied as ancient music, Philip Glass' film music, and 20th-century music through the prism of the Beatles.
A book like this succeeds if it leads the reader back to the music. I put the thing down every few pages because I just had to listen.--Christopher Purdy, Broadcast Manager and On-Air Host, Classical 101, WOSU Public Media A pleasure. Ashby takes us lovingly through each piece, page-by-page or even phrase-by-phrase. His ability to get into the ideas behind Mahler's scores, asking basic questions on meaning and style is refreshing and perceptive. Experiencing Mahler will make a great introduction to this enthralling composer, or a spur for the already initiated.--Thomas Hampson, baritone, founder of the Hampsong Foundation, and collaborator on Leonard Bernstein's final Mahler recording During the pandemic I've found myself teaching my Mahler course from home. Experiencing Mahler has been my closest companion-- I consulted it nearly every day for Ashby's brilliant insights into the details of the music. This is a superb addition to the resources for studying Mahler.--Susan McClary, MacArthur Fellow and author of Feminine Endings: Music, Gender, and Sexuality and Conventional Wisdom: The Content of Musical Form Immensely enjoyable, wonderful material that is both compelling and persuasive. The way Ashby frames and reframes our understanding of these pieces has provided me with new insights and new ways of approaching this music.--Thomas Peattie, musicologist and author of Gustav Mahler's Symphonic Landscapes This is a book to read slowly and treasure: I found myself pouring over each paragraph with delight, wanting to digest every extraordinary thought. Ashby offers a world of poetry and imagination as he shares keen insights-- involving philosophy, psychology, history, and culture-- into this most complex of composers. Experiencing Mahler is a startlingly original book, and it should be required reading for every conductor. But then any Mahler lover will be enchanted by the dreamscapes that Ashby traces for these symphonic worlds.--JoAnn Falletta, Grammy-winning conductor, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Ashby takes the reader on an informed tour of each work . . . Describing music with words is difficult, but Ashby is an engaging writer . . . What sets his book apart from similar efforts are CD timestamps . . . that allow readers to "drop the needle" on exactly what is being discussed at a given moment. -- "American Record Guide" Highly Recommended: [Experiencing Mahler] will be appreciated by music lovers at all levels of expertise. The book is valuable as a journey through Mahler's oeuvre with an intelligent and perceptive companion, and as a good excuse to revisit the work of a most important but often misunderstood modern classical composer. -- "Choice Reviews" Where does one start? How could even a seasoned Mahlerian find fresh perspectives on his work? If you're completely new to Mahler's music, where do you go for an informed but approachable introduction? The answer to all three questions is Arved Ashby's Experiencing Mahler. Taking us one by one through the symphonies and major song cycles, Ashby combines history, analysis, and critical observation into a highly enjoyable and thought-provoking read. For a clear and informative introduction to Mahler, look no further. --Andrew Desiderio, Fanfare
