Seeing Mahler: Music and the Language of Antisemitism in Fin-de-Siecle Vienna

218 Pages·2010·4.548 MB·

by  K.M. Knittel

Seeing Mahler: Music and the
Language of Antisemitism
in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna
K.M. Knittel
Seeing Mahler: MuSic and the language
of antiSeMitiSM in fin-de-Siècle Vienna
For Sander and Richard, with Thanks
Seeing Mahler: Music and the
language of antisemitism
in fin-de-Siècle Vienna
K.M. Knittel
The University of Texas at Austin, USA
© K.M. Knittel 2010
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
K.M. Knittel has asserted her right under the copyright, designs and Patents act, 1988, to
be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Knittel, K.M.
Seeing Mahler : music and the language of antisemitism in fin-de-siècle Vienna.
1. Mahler, gustav, 1860–1911 – appreciation – austria – Vienna. 2. Jewish
composers – austria – Vienna – Public opinion. 3. Public opinion – austria – Vienna
– history – 20th century. 4. antisemitism – austria – Vienna – history – 20th century.
5. antisemitism in language – austria – Vienna – history – 20th century. 6. Music and
antisemitism – austria – Vienna – history – 20th century.
i. title
780.9’2–dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Knittel, K.M.
Seeing Mahler : music and the language of antisemitism in fin-de-siècle Vienna /
K.M. Knittel.
p. cm.
includes index.
ISBN 978–0–7546–6372–0 (hardcover : alk. paper) – ISBN 978–1–4094–1210–6
(ebook) 1. Mahler, Gustav, 1860–1911. 2. Music and antisemitism. 3. Antisemitism
– austria.
i. title.
Ml410.M23K65 2010
780.92–dc22 2010021504
ISBN 9780754663720 (hbk)
ISBN 9781409412106 (ebk)
V
contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables ix
Acknowledgments xi
Abbreviations xv
1 introduction: “Mahlers Metamorphosen” 1
2 die Bildnisse von gustav Mahler 15
3 Das Judentum in der Musik 49
4 Die Wiener Kritiker 69
5 das Problem richard Strauss 111
6 Eine musikalische Physiognomik 159
appendix i Mahler reviews consulted 169
appendix ii Strauss reviews consulted 175
Bibliography 177
Index 191
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list of figures
1.1 “Mahlers Metamorphosen,” theo Zasche, 15 January 1905,
Wiener Caricaturen, p. 4. Source: Österreichisches
Nationalbibliothek, Bildarchiv. 2
2.1 “Darwinistische Entwicklungslehre” [“Lesson in Darwinian
Evolution”]. Th. Zajacskowski, Floh, n.d. Source: Karl Storck,
Musik und Musiker in Karikatur und Satire; eine Kulturgeschichte
der Musik (Oldenburg im Grossherzogtum: G. Stalling, 1911?),
plate 432. 19
2.2 “in unserer oper werden die freya und der Wotan bald so
aussehen!” Kikeriki, 12 october 1897. Source: hans christoph
Worbs, Das Dampfkonzert (Wilhelmshaven: heinrichshofen,
1982), p. 259. 21
4.1 “tragische Sinfonie.” Die Muskete: Humoristische
Wochenschrift, 19 January 1907, cover. Source: gilbert Kaplan,
The Mahler Album (New York: Abrams, 1995); plate 300,
image owned by the internationale gustav Mahler gesellschaft
Wien, used with kind permission. 109
5.1 Strauss’s Elektra orchestra, 1910, Lustige Blätter. Source: Kurt
Wilhelm, Richard Strauss persönlich: Eine Bildbiographie
(Munich: Kindler Verlag, 1984), p. 177. 144
5.2 Mahler’s first Symphony, theo Zasch, 1900. Source: collection
Kaplan Foundation, New York, Kaplan, plate 285. 145
5.3 “The ‘Elektric’ Execution, by the musical executioner.”
f. Jüttner, 1909, Lustige Blätter. Source: Der zerflückte Richard
Strauss: Richard Strauss Karikaturen in Bild und Wort. Verlag
der “lustigen Blätter” (Berlin: dr. eysler & co., g.m.b.h.,
1910), p. 19. 146
5.4 “A Scary Pair. Once the first has––‘adapted,’ then immediately
the second ‘sets to music!’” 1910, Stein, Lustige Blätter.
Source: Der zerflückte Richard Strauss, p. 18. 148
5.5 Strauss, Mahler, Schoenberg, and rosé, Illustrirtes Wiener
Extrablatt, 21 March 1907. Source: collection Kaplan
Foundation, New York, Kaplan, plate 295. 149
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list of tables
4.1 Mahler Symphony Premieres, 1899–1907 (Mahler conducting) 69
4.2 Mahler Symphony Premieres, 1908–1912 (Mahler conducting,
unless noted) 70
5.1 Strauss’s Viennese Premieres (Vienna Philharmonic,
unless noted) 115
5.2 Strauss and Mahler concerts in Vienna, november–december
1904 123
5.3 Viennese Premieres of Bruckner’s Symphonies (orchestral
versions) 152