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ALMA MAHLER 1879-1901

CHILDHOOD

Alma Mahler, born on August 31, 1879, in Vienna, Italy, is often referred to as “the most beautiful girl in Vienna” (“ALMA”). Her childhood consisted of scarcity and scandals. Her father and idol, Emil Jakob Schindler, worked as a landscape painter, while her mother, Anna Sofie Bergen, pursued a Hamburg singer livelihood; both jobs, however elaborate they may sound, were only mediocre careers and did not generate enough income for the family to afford an apartment on their own. Therefore, Julius Victor Berger, Schindler’s artist coworker, moved into the apartment with the family. Berger and Anna grew very fond of each other and engaged in an affair. Shortly after, Alma’s half-sister, Grete, was born in 1881. Schindler then won a very prestigious art prize that allowed the family to move to Schloss Plankenberg near Tulln. Because of his newfound fame, he received a commission to paint coastal sites of Dalmatia from Crown Prince Rudolf in 1887. Schindler is known in history as one of the most significant artists in the Hadsburg Monarchy.

Schindler then began teaching to various students and obtained assistants. One of his students and assistants, Carl Moll, secretly started an affair with Alma’s mother. It lasted for numerous years and was never revealed to Schindler. Unfortunately, at age 13, Alma experienced the devastating loss of her father from an appendix infection while he was traveling on the North Sea Island of Slyt, on August 9, 1892. Alma’s mother predictably married Moll briskly after Schindler’s death; Alma felt animosity towards her mother and claimed the marriage was an unforgiveable disloyalty to her father (“ALMA”).

ATTRIBUTES

Alma was a very intellectual young girl. She was very talented in music and showed an interest in literature; her father fully supported and encouraged her to learn as much as she could. He introduced her to the tragic and famous play Goethe’s Faust when she was still only a child. Alma would spend hours with her father in his studio, observing his styles and learning from him. As she grew older, she would draw attention from various famous men.

Alma adored composers and was gifted in music. Her two favorite composers were Schubert and Schumann, but Robert Wagner was the composer who held her heart. She stated in her diary that she was fondest of Wagner than any other person on the earth. She learned from him and began composing herself; she created and performed lyrical improvisations and soliloquies in front of her teacher, including Lieder and other piano pieces she wrote (“ALMA”).

ROMANTIC LIFE

The first time the young beauty received notice was from Gustav Klimt. Klimt was the President of “Vereinigung bildender Kunstler Osterreichs Sezession” (Association of Austrian Fine Arts Secession) founded in Vienna in 1897. Alma’s attentiveness and mature nature as an adolescent enabled her to participate in the association’s collective evening meals that were often hosted at Moll’s residence. Klimt was attracted to Alma’s pure beauty and was intrigued by immense knowledge at such a young age. Klimt, notorious for his lust and seduction, allured Alma. She was drawn to the distinguished artist and fell in love with him. However, the love she felt tore her apart and she soon questioned her happiness. One journal entry particularly indicates her confusion: Gustav Klimt entered my life as my first great love, but I was an innocent child, totally absorbed in my music and far removed from life in the real world. The more I suffered from this love, the more I sank into my own music, and so my unhappiness became a source of my greatest bliss (“ALMA”). The group traveled to Italy for a holiday trip where Klimt continued his persistence towards Alma. By this point, Alma was willing to completely give herself and her loyalty to Klimt forever; they were forced to sneak behind Moll’s back and met in a secluded area. During one secret encounter, Klimt kissed Alma for the first time. It did not take long before Moll noticed Klimt’s and Alma’s flirtation and chemistry. Moll’s discovery of their kiss enraged him and he ordered Klimt to leave immediately, permitting him to never come near Alma in the future.

Consistently being the target of older men’s longing eyes, Alma accepted their adoration and in turn, gave some of them her undying attention. In the pring of 1990, possibly the most adored, loved, and lusted after man that Alma was blessed to meet was Jewish composer, Alexander von Zemlinsky. He was one of the most outstanding people in the Viennese musical realm. Alma described him in her diary as a chinless, small man with bulging eyes (“ALMA”). She recalled him as a man full of character, possessing a maniacal way of conducting. They had a lot in common and spent the majority of their time adoring Wagner. When Zemlinsky learned Tristan was Alma’s favorite opera, he was smitten and became so overjoyed that he didn’t act like himself. They fell into a deep, intimate love affair filled with lust and torment. Alma and Zemlinsky were so passionate about each other that it besieged them. Alma’s family consistently attacked her for loving someone with different religious faith. Zemlinsky felt their animosity and began to retreat. Alma continued to torture him for the next two years before she allowed her family and friends to persuade her and ended their relationship.

Alma then met Gustav Mahler on November 7, 1901. Mahler was a very renowned conductor and Director of the Vienna Court Opera; he was considered one of the most powerful people in the world of music. But, Mahler was 19 years older than Alma and her family was in no way pleased with the new connection. They stated he was too old for the young beauty and rumors flew that he was completely bankrupt and had an incurable illness. Mahler proposed to Alma on November 28 but she did not accept his proposal until their engagement on December 23. They were married on March 9, 1902, in Vienna. Maria, their first daughter was conceived on November 2, 1902. Yet, Alma’s relationship with Mahler began to suffer immensely. He did not take a liking to Alma’s art and neglected her. When their second daughter, Anna Justina, was born on June 15, 1904, Alma’s emptiness and husband’s rejection worsened. Unfortunately, Maria died from diphtheria at age five. Mahler, devastated and crushed at the loss of his daughter, allowed the gap between him and Alma to grow. It was then discovered that he was suffering from a heart defect (“ALMA”).

Bibliography "ALMA : History." ALMA. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.alma-mahler.at/engl/almas_life/almas_life1.html>.

"Alma Mahler (The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, Mélodies, Canzoni, and Other Classical Vocal Music)." Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/m/amahler.html>.