Irdische Leben/Himmlische Leben: Life and Death in the Music of Gustav Mahler

The existential symphonies of Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) explore his deepest concerns with his own mortality and the meaning of life. Late in life, Mahler consulted Sigmund Freud as a result of a severe marital crisis. This lecture investigated the relationship of that brief episode of psychoanalysis to the psychology of Mahler's music, and featured a brief performance of one of Mahler's songs.