Gustav Mahler's Second Century: Achievements in Scholarship and Challenges for Research

The popular and critical appeal of Mahler's music is evident in the performances of his music and the influence those pieces have on other composers. In the early twentieth century the efforts by his widow and colleagues to preserve his memory emerged in various collections of letters and other documents which were important later for the completion of various biographies; and in the mid-twentieth century, the Internationale Gustav Mahler Geselleschaft undertook the publication of a critical edition of the composer's collected works. In the latter part of the twentieth century, the revival of interest in Mahler's music spurred both performances of his music and intensive studies that involve analysis, reception history, and performing practice. His legacy continues into a second century, as research not only continues, but moves into areas that have not been explored to understand the structures Mahler used to express music of continuing relevance.