Sunday 4 July 2010

Music of a Life


"Gustav Mahler and Vienna"
"The exhibition ranges
from the education and training
of the fifteen-year-old prodigy

to the revolutionary reform
of opera he organised
together with the stage-designer,
Alfred Roller,

to the international successes
of the celebrated conductor
to the final return
of a terminally-ill man –

a broad survey
of the life and work
of this paradigmatic artistic personality;

shaped by the terrible tensions
inherent in the “Wiener Moderne”,
his influence continued to be felt
in the world of music long after his death." *

A must-see!
The curators of this exhibition
- Reinhold Kubik and Thomas Trabitsch -
have put together a show of outstanding quality,
the installation and design by Blaich + Deluga
by themselves form a work of art

"Gustav Mahler and Vienna"
will be open
through the 3rd of October, 2010
at the Theatermuseum
Lobkowitzplatz
Vienna

* Quoted from
the Theatermuseum's
exhibition website

"The Music of a Life"
is the title of a novella
by Andreï Makine


Images
© 2010 by Merisi

21 comments:

  1. Of course,
    the "must-see" is my humble private opinion, I am not an expert, only a lover Mahler's music. I found this exhibition fascinating. The visual aspects alone are so multifaceted that I will need to return more than once to really comprehend and take in all that there is to see and take in.
    Best regards,
    Merisi

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  2. A wonderful post Merisi. It has inspired me to play some Mahler for my "bed time listening" tonight - Das Lied von der Erde I think.

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  3. Merisi, thank you for your July 4 wishes, and also for this beautiful hint about what seems to be a wonderful exhibit.

    xo

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  4. Pure creative elegance, love the softness of the hues, the reflections and all that you did to make these images shine~ Have a sweet week~

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  5. #1,2, and 3... Sigh... Beautiful shots for this untrained eye to drink.

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  6. Vienna is great not only when it comes to playing music, but also when it's about celebrating it!

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  7. Frances,
    thank you!
    I hope you have this Monday off, to better enjoy the holiday weekend!

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  8. Mary Howell Cromer,
    this exhibition is sheer creative genius!
    I cranked the ISO up to 800 because it was rather dark, but then I could have photographed for hours (I had asked for permission). Imagine, the second picture is made through a glass cubicle that contains a Lohengrin costume from Mahler's era (another work of art). I will have to look for other work by the designers of this exhibition, they are sheer genius.

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  9. She Writes,
    you would enjoy walking through this exhibition, I am sure of that!

    Lara Neusiedler,
    at times, yes,
    I am going to look for more of the Blaich + Deluga team!

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  10. Terrific sequence, Merisi. The first photograph is superb. Just my kind of thing.

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  11. I'm find this intersting, having enjoyed Mahler's music. I was introduced to his stuff by Lewis Thomas in his "late night thoughts on listening to Mahler's 9th symphony."

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  12. Happy Birthday Gustav !!, and such a wonderful posting. Wow I am so glad this exhibit runs through September so I can catch it.
    The light in these pictures is amazing,and mirrors the shadows and the blazing sunshine in his glorious symphonies.
    I must check the map for Lobkowitzplatz now !

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  13. I'm echoing Martin -- love the sequence, especially the first one.

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  14. Kurwenal,
    Lobkowitz Palace is a stone's throw from the Albertina -
    walking from Albertina Square towards Josefsplatz, the first place to your right.

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  15. I meant to write the first "palace to your right" - you can see it almost straight ahead of you.

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  16. Thanks Merisi, yes I think I know the one. It will be good to read more about Mahler in Wien. I went over to Grinzing Friedhof on my last visit, to see his grave. I am so glad that something special is on in the heart of the city.

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  17. At the risk of being flippant, do you know the Tom Lehrer song "Alma, tell us..." about his ex-wife?

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  18. Merisi, the fist photo looks like Mozart checking out the competition. Great catch.

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  19. Arija,
    I looked up the lyrics! *giggles*
    I hadn't heard of that ballad, High society a hundred years ago in Vienna was not so much different from today's. ;-)

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  20. par·a·dig·mat·ic (pr-dg-mtk)
    adj.
    1. Of or relating to a paradigm.
    2. Linguistics Of or relating to the set of substitutional or oppositional relationships a linguistic unit has with other units, such as the relationship between (n) in not and other sounds that could be substituted for it in the same context, like (t) and (p). Together with the set of syntagmatic relations, paradigmatic relations describe the identity of a linguistic unit in a given language.
    I still have no idea what this means exactly but 1st boyfriend was an opera singer so I got plenty of Mahler up the whazoo.
    Love the Kindertotten leider...

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  21. I've been so remiss and have missed a lot of fine photos. These are just wonderful.

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