After coming to the US and conducting the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, Gustav Mahler ultimately returned to Vienna, and he died there literally of a broken heart.
He had very serious heart disease that was discovered when his daughter died, and he never recovered.
It was a very sad day, when virtually every Vienneses musician who had known Mahler turned out to pay her/his respect. Mahler was buried in Grinzing, outside the city. The large stone marking his grave just says “Mahler”. The composer said that people who will want to come and visit him will know how to locate his grave site.
Gustav Mahler had a profound impact not only on the level of excellence in music performance, but also on the development of all 20th century symphonic music.
As a tribute to this great man, let us listen to the Adgietto movement from Mahler’s Symphony number 5:
