Henry-Louis de La Grange
The first volume of De La Grange’s massive four-volume biography of the composer Gustav Mahler, covering the years 1860-1902.
This early entry into Henry-Louis de La Grange’s series of biographical books on Gustav Mahler provides a microscopic look into the life of the conductor/composer. It foreshadows the even more finely detailed books on Mahler written by de La Grange. This book provides an excellent introduction to Mahler’s life and work.
Exclusive of footnotes and appendices, this work is 700 pages long. It is extremely well written and researched and has many rare photos of Mahler and his family. It covers his birth in 1860 thru his engagement to the sleazy and spoiled Alma in 1901. The book coincided with Mahler’s growing popularity in the concert halls of the Seventies. I got it for a Christmas present and lost track of it over the years of moving. There aren’t many copies available, so getting one will be expensive. But if you are a Mahler addict, this work will be well worth it. If you can only read one book about the Master, this is the one you want.