Embrace Everything - The World of Gustav Mahler

One of Friedrich Rückert’s poems argued for privacy during the creative process. No wonder the lyrics resonated with Gustav Mahler, who was inspired to create “Do Not Look Into My Songs.” ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner Guests include: *THOMAS HAMPSON - Foremost Baritone and Opera Star *MARILYN McCOY - Columbia Unive...

Gustav Mahler’s song “I Breathed a Gentle Fragrance” endeavors to capture the intoxicating smell of the Linden tree. He wrote it for someone dear to him. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner Guests include: *THOMAS HAMPSON - Foremost Baritone and Opera Star *MARILYN McCOY - Columbia University, New York ***** Support us o...

After a traumatic health scare in 1901, Gustav Mahler found consolation in the words of poet Friedrich Rückert. Mahler adopted Rückert’s voice as his own in a new series of songs. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *DOMINIC COMPERATORE as the voice of Bruno Walter Guests include: *THOMAS HAMPSON - Foremost Baritone and...

This special season focuses on Mahler’s Rückert Lieder , a collection of five songs based on texts by the poet Friedrich Rückert. The season opens by exploring the circumstances that led Mahler to compose his Rückert Lieder , then goes in depth on the songs individually, and wraps up by explaining how the songs relate to Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. ***** Starring James Lurie as the voice of Gust...

For our final installment of the Mahler Miniatures, we hear a very special story from a very special listener. ***** Guests include: ANISA MEHDI - Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and flutist ***** Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membership See the new EMBRACE EVERYTHING MUG on our website: https://www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/donate.html For a tax-deductible one-...

Host and Producer Aaron Cohen discusses a poem that influenced music in Mahler's Fifth Symphony. ***** Starring: JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler ***** Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membership See the new EMBRACE EVERYTHING MUG on our website: https://www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/donate.html For a tax-deductible one-time contribution, support us on FRACTURED A...

Host and Producer Aaron Cohen shares his research into one of Mahler's most beloved songs. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler Guests include: *THOMAS HAMPSON - Foremost Baritone and Opera Star ***** Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membership See the new EMBRACE EVERYTHING MUG on our website: https://www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/donate.html For a t...

Host and Producer Aaron Cohen shares excerpts from interviews conducted during the 2025 Amsterdam Mahler Festival. ***** Guests include: *CYNTHIA YEH - Principal Percussion, Chicago Symphony Orchestra *MICHAEL GIELER - Solo Viola, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam ***** Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membership See the new EMBRACE EVERYTHING MUG on our website: h...

Host and Producer Aaron Cohen shares excerpts from his new interviews about Alma Mahler which will be featured in Season 5. ***** Guests include: *MARINA MAHLER - Granddaughter of Gustav Mahler and President of the Mahler Foundation *THOMAS HAMPSON - Foremost Baritone and Opera Star ***** Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membership See the new EMBRACE EVERYTHING MUG on our...

In this special episode, filmmaker JASON STARR talks about his fascination with Gustav Mahler and his many documentary movies on the great composer. ***** Six of Jason Starr’s Mahler films currently available for streaming: On Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer https://vimeo.com/475536616/6b9f10e961 Mahler’s Titan: The Romance, Death and Triumph of a Young Musician https://vimeo.com/475440671 Of Love, D...

Host and Producer Aaron Cohen shares excerpts of his early research into Mahler’s Fifth Symphony as he begins production on Season 5. ***** Guests include: *DAVID BILGER - Former Principal Trumpet, Philadelphia Orchestra *STEFAN DOHR - Principal Horn, Berlin Philharmonic *MARINA MAHLER - Granddaughter of Gustav Mahler and President of the Mahler Foundation *CHRISTOPHER MARTIN - Principal Trumpet,...

Mahler said there are seven themes in the first movement of his Fourth Symphony. Pianist and composer D.D. JACKSON identifies and contextualizes each of them for us. ***** D.D. JACKSON is an Emmy Award-winning composer, a jazz and classical pianist, and a music educator. Learn more about him at www.ddjackson.com. ***** Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membership See th...

Mahler premiered his Fourth Symphony in 1901. In this episode we learn how audiences and critics responded to the new work. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *DOMINIC COMPERATORE as the voice of Bruno Walter *JEFF SPURGEON as the voice of “The Critic” *DAN BARNETT as the voice of Jean Paul Richter Guests include:...

Mahler composed the song “The Heavenly Life” in 1892, seven years before using it as the last movement of his Fourth Symphony. In this episode we discuss the meaning of the song and its lyrics. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *SHANADE HERNANDEZ as the voice of Mahler’s Angel *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *DOMINIC COMPERATORE as the voice of...

In the third movement of his Fourth Symphony, Mahler introduces a different kind of humor, one that inspires both laughter and tears at the same time. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *DOMINIC COMPERATORE as the voice of Bruno Walter *DAN BARNETT as the voice of Jean Paul Richter *JACK BERENHOLTZ as the voice of Paul...

In the second movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, we begin our journey toward heaven. But the path is going to take some surprising twists.  ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *DOMINIC COMPERATORE as the voice of Bruno Walter *JACK BERENHOLTZ as the voice of Paul Bekker *DAN BARNETT as the voice of Jean Paul Rich...

Mahler’s Fourth Symphony is his most playful composition, and one that he originally called a “Symphonic Humoresque.” In the first movement, we hear a side of Mahler we haven’t heard before. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *DOMINIC COMPERATORE as the voice of Bruno Walter *JACK BERENHOLTZ as the voice of Paul Be...

In this special episode, MARINA MAHLER talks about publishing a family photo album that belonged to her grandmother, Alma Mahler. You can see more details and order a copy here: https://www.themahlerfamily.com/

Season 4 focuses on Mahler’s Fourth Symphony in G major (1899-1900), which charts the journey of the soul from its earthly life to a heavenly one. Each episode is devoted to a movement of the symphony, followed by a concluding historical episode devoted to the reception of the Fourth Symphony when it premiered in 1901. Winner of a Gold Signal Award, a Silver New York Festivals Radio Award, five Co...

Leonard Bernstein had an affinity for the music of Gustav Mahler, as seen in the climax of the Oscar-nominated 2023 Netflix film “Maestro.” In this special episode, we explore what the two musicians had in common, and learn how Bernstein brought Mahler back into the spotlight in the 1960s. Winner of a 2024 Gold Signal Award, a Gold Davey Award, a Communicator Award of Excellence, a Silver Award at...

In the sixth and final movement of Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony, he reaches the top rung on his ladder of consciousness. This glorious adagio is Mahler’s celebration of God’s perfect love. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *PAUL HECHT as the voice of Friedrich Nietzsche *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *ROBERT FASS as the voice of Siegfried Lipiner...

Angels are the next step on Gustav Mahler’s ladder of consciousness. In the joyful fifth movement of his Third Symphony, the orchestra is joined by a children’s choir and a women’s choir giving voice to the angels. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *PAUL HECHT as the voice of Friedrich Nietzsche *ROBERT FASS as the voice of Siegfried Lipiner Guests include: *JAMES BURTON -...

In the fourth movement of his Third Symphony, Gustav Mahler’s ladder of consciousness reaches humanity. It is a dramatic orchestral song for mezzo soprano that explores the meaning of existence, with lyrics from Nietzsche’s book “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *PAUL HECHT as the voice of Friedrich Nietzsche *ROBERT FASS as the voice of Siegfried...

Gustav Mahler made animals the next step upward on his ladder of consciousness in the third movement of his Third Symphony. Summoning both humor and tragedy, he portrays the sounds of the forest, from sweetly singing nightingales to fearsome creatures. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *PAUL HECHT as the voice of Friedrich Nietzsche *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie...

In the second movement of his Third Symphony, Gustav Mahler begins the upward journey on the ladder of consciousness. He considers flowers the first step and portrays them in musically charming ways. ***** Starring: *JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler *LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-Lechner *BILLY LYONS as the voice of Arthur Schopenhauer *GARY TIEDEMANN as the voice of Gusta...