The beginning

Over the first four seasons of his tenure, Gustav Mahler con­duc­ted more than 300 performances, including 25 revival perfor­mances, new productions, re-stagings, premieres or world pre­mieres. In his early years at the Court Opera, both his workload and his determination to exercise creative control were nothing short of formidable. As the writer and journalist Karl Krauss noted on 16 May 1897, “The new conductor is believed to have demon­strat­ed his drive and determination so effectively that people are already busy plotting against him.”

Interior view of the Court Opera House. View across the front rows of spectators and the orchestra pit to the stage, which is richly decorated with allegorical images. At both sides you can see the boxes in different sizes. ©
The Vienna Court Opera

The mark Gustav Mahler left on the opera as a composer was every bit as in­delible as the one he left as its director. As the writer and critic Felix Salten said in 1924, “The magic of these performances was that you always felt you were under the inescapable spell of a truly great figure.” Richard Wagner provided the core of Mahler's repertoire as a conduc­tor. It was under Mahler that Wagner's Ring Cycle was performed in full for the first time, in 1898.

00:02:35 audio
Gerhard Stehmann

Die Königin von Saba (The Queen of Sheba)

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      Arthur Preuss

      Der Freischütz (The Marksman)

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          Arthur Preuss

          Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

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              Anna von Mildenburg

              Oberon

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                  Anna von Mildenburg ©
                  Anna von Mildenburg
                  00:03:00 audio
                  Erik Schmedes

                  Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)

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                      Among the new recruits to the ensemble in Mahler's early years as director, the sopranos Selma Kurz and Anna von Mildenburg and the heroic tenor Erik Schmedes stand out. They committed themselves to Mahler's artistic vision and soon became audience favourites. “He [Mahler] is a director and a conductor a singer can trust implicitly. I don't look at him when he is conducting, but the feeling that he is there conducting supports the singer and protects them all possible perils. Mahler is a severe critic … but that means you are entitled to be delighted when he praises you.” (Erik Schmedes, 1904).

                      00:02:56 audio
                      Erik Schmedes

                      Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

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                          Erik Schmedes

                          Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

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                              Erik Schmedes ©
                              Erik Schmedes
                              00:02:50 audio
                              Erik Schmedes

                              Othello

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                                  00:04:00 audio
                                  Selma Kurz

                                  Die Königin von Saba (The Queen of Sheba)

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                                      Mahler saw opera as an integral art form that encom­passed all a production's compo­nent parts. Accordingly, he devoted his attention to direction and set design as well as music, and worked hard with his singers on every detail of their musical and acting performances. “Working with Mahler during rehearsals was wonderful. His deter­mination and enthusiasm forced you to summon up your very best and give it everything you had. Every rehearsal left him drained and ex­haust­ed, too.” (Selma Kurz, 1921)

                                      00:02:43 audio
                                      Selma Kurz

                                      Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball)

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                                          00:04:34 audio
                                          Selma Kurz

                                          Ernani

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                                              Selma Kurz ©
                                              Selma Kurz
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                                              Selma Kurz

                                              Lakmé

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                                                  00:02:57 audio
                                                  Leopold Demuth

                                                  Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)

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                                                      Some of Mahler's reforms, such as his decision to abolish the claque (a group of profes­sion­al applauders that singers were required to join) or making latecomers wait until intervals before allowing them into the auditorium, proved controversial among the public, and tended to overshadow some of his more significant achieve­ments as director.

                                                      00:03:13 audio
                                                      Leopold Demuth

                                                      Tannhäuser

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                                                          00:02:56 audio
                                                          Leopold Demuth

                                                          Ernani

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                                                              Leopold Demuth ©
                                                              Leopold Demuth
                                                              Franz Naval ©
                                                              Franz Naval
                                                              00:03:20 audio
                                                              Franz Naval

                                                              Mignon

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                                                                  00:02:59 audio
                                                                  Franz Naval

                                                                  Les contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann)

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