The Mahler Symphonies
An Owner’s Manual
by David Hurwitz

 224 pp., 6” x 9,” with a full-length CD
© 2004, paperback, 1-57467-099-9, $22.95
 

Arnold Schoenberg, Otto Klemperer, Erich Krongold and Leonard Bernstein are just a few of the mid-20^th century composers and conductors who are said to have been influenced by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), whose works summarize the great German symphonic tradition of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner’s Manual by David Hurwitz, the second book from the new Amadeus Press series, Unlocking the Masters, is the first discussion of Mahler’s ten completed symphonies (Nos. 1-9 plus The Song of the Earth) to offer music lovers and record collectors a comprehensive overview of his music, what it sounds like, how it is organized, its form, content, and meaning, as it strikes today’s listeners. As an added bonus, a full-length Hänssler Classic CD of selected symphonies accompanies the book.

In clear, concise language, Mr. Hurwitz describes each of Mahler’s major works individually, how each work is arranged, how the various parts relate to one another and how one work leads to the next, using simple cues such as important instrumental solos, recognizable tunes, and climaxes. As he writes in his introduction: “This book . . . is about the experience of hearing music; about what you as a listener are going to encounter. . . . how to get the most out of the immediate experience of the music itself.” All in all, his goal is to bring about a better of understanding of, as he states, “what it is that [Mahler] does.”

Two appendices offer an in-depth discussion of Mahler’s use of the orchestra, keyed to some of the music included on the CD and The Symphonies at a Glance, a series of tables that identify some especially “Mahlerian” musical features and how they are distributed among the movements of the individual works.

“This book is an especially good fit for our new Unlocking the Masters series and the greater mission of Amadeus Press: to enhance the appreciation and knowledge of classical music and opera for all in our society. The book meets music lovers on whatever level they are—this includes beginners—thereby making the music more accessible,” notes Amadeus Press publisher John Cerullo. Amadeus will also publish three additional titles by Mr. Hurwitz this winter and spring. Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works will be released this January. Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Vocal Works and Dvorak: Romantic Music’s Most Versatile Genius will follow this spring.

An accomplished writer, musician, producer, and the founder and executive editor of Classicstoday.com, the Internet’s first and only daily classical music magazine, David Hurwitz brings his extensive and musically diverse achievements to The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner’s Manual, the first of three books he has written for Amadeus Press. The founder and chairman of the Classical Internet Awards (formerly the Cannes Classical Awards), he has produced Classics Exposed for Denon Records and Earquake for Ondine Records. He currently serves as a radio commentator for NPR’s Performance Today and WNYC’s Soundcheck.

In addition to producing, Mr. Hurwitz is a past contributing editor to various magazines and websites for Amazon.com, Schwann/Opus, Musical America, High Fidelity, CD Review, and Classical Pulse!

As a freelance percussionist, Mr. Hurwitz has recorded with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and Helsinki Philharmonic. He is also the author of Beethoven or Bust: A Practical Guide to Learning About and Listening to Great Music, published by Anchor/Doubleday. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.