Discovering Mahler: Writings on Mahler 1955–2005 (review)

Abstract

Discovering Mahler: Writings on Mahler 1955-2005. By Donald Mitchell. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 2007. [l, 680 p. ISBN-10184383345X; ISBN-10 9781843833451, $80.] Illustra - tions, music examples, portraits, appendices, references, indexes. Described by publisher as the fourth and final volume of Donald Mitchell's unique studies of Mahler and his Discovering Mahler would seem to belong to biographically oriented volumes that author has published to date, namely Gustav Mahler: The Early Years (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1958; sub - sequently revised, with latest edition dating from 2003); Gustav Mahler: The Wunder horn Years (Berkeley: University of Cali fornia Press, 1975; and revised several times, with latest edition dating from 2005); and Gustav Mahler: Songs and Sym - phonies of Life and Death (Berkeley: Uni - versity of California Press, 1985, rev. ed. 2002). Since first two volumes take up music through composition of Fourth Symphony, and author discusses at length settings of poetry by Friedrich Ruckert, Eighth Symphony, and Das Lied von der Erde in third, expectation exists for a fourth volume devoted to three instrumental symphonies in order to complete kind of seeming gap that exists among published volumes. This is not case and, thus, subtitle of Discovering Mahler reflects nature of volume more accurately, since it is a collection of various articles and short pieces about Mahler that Mitchell wrote during half century between 1955 and 2005 and, in this sense resembles author's Cradles of New: Writings on Music 1951-1991 (London: Faber and Faber, 1995). The latter volume intersects Disco v - ering Mahler through inclusion of three articles on Mahler (Mahler and Nature: Landscape into Music, Mahler's Hun - garian Glissando, and Mahler's Abschied: A Wrong Note Righted) that are also found in present collection. Ap - parently, no other full-length study is planned since, as Mitchell states in Abschied that prefaces this book it will be his last published volume about music, and in it he claims to have nothing more to say on subject. Some of articles are reprinted from recent publications, like The Mahler Com - panion, ed. by Donald Mitchell and Andrew Nicholson (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999) and Mahler Studies, ed. by Stephen E. Hefling (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997) and, as such, may already be familiar. Yet publication in Discovering Mahler of Mitchell's contribution to 1980 edition of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians should be read with bibliographic caution, since both this article and its published revision have been superseded by Peter Franklin's article on Mahler in second edition of The New Grove. In addition, provenance of 'Hidden Treasure Within': The Early Songs for Voice and Piano and Wunderhorn- Lieder is stated as derived from Donald Mitchell, ed., Gustav Mahler: The World Listens (Haarlem: TEMA Uitgevers, 1995) and augmented with additional sections interpolated from liner notes Mitchell contributed to two recordings, as well as further inclusion of material from paperback edition of The Mahler Companion (which is essentially a revised edition, because of its inclusion of an article not issued in preceding hardcover edition). Such revisions constitute a revised version of article. A similar problem exists in organization of volume, which divides contents under rubrics Vision, Scrutiny (in which pieces are arranged by work discussed) Reflection, and Resonance, all concepts that fit materials in each of them. While any arrangement is arbitrary, order of materials in Scrutiny inevitably results in presenting writings from various times side-by-side, as well as shifting tone between pieces. A more useful format would distinguish intended original audiences for essay, which include articles in professional journals, contributions to collected essays; liner notes, and texts of talks. …