Mahler and Musicians

Reinvention

During the few short months before Mahler officially took over the New York Philharmonic in November 1909, he began radically remaking the Orchestra. Even before his first performance he replaced almost 50 percent of the musicians. In his first season the number of concerts grew from 16 to 46; rehearsals were rigorous; and the Orchestra toured as far west as Pittsburgh. What had been a respected ensemble began to grow into a musical powerhouse.

This met with some controversy, as seen through Mahler’s spirited interaction with the Philharmonic musicians, guest artists, the newly powerful Musical Mutual Protective Union, the press, and local rivals.

William Malloch's "I Remember Mahler," New York Philharmonic: The Mahler Broadcasts, 1948–1982

Rivals

The restructuring of the New York Philharmonic was not greeted with universal acclaim. Walter Damrosch had been conductor of the rival New York Symphony since the death of his father, Leopold, in 1882. He believed that the new leadership of the Philharmonic had stolen Mahler from the Symphony Society, and some of his animosity could be attributed to a feeling of being “left at the altar.” Furthermore, in 1903 Damrosch had offered his own plan to restructure the Philharmonic, with himself at the helm.​

Walter Damrosch was a great advocate for classical music in this country. He conducted The Metropolitan Opera, championed young composers such as George Gershwin, and convinced Andrew Carnegie to build a music hall. After the New York Symphony merged with the Philharmonic in 1928, Damrosch would focus on broadcasting, and was music adviser to NBC radio until 1947.

The New York Times, August 28, 1908. Read by Forrest Buckman.

Visiting virtuoso

When Ferruccio Busoni performed as piano soloist in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the Philharmonic in January 1910, he and Mahler scored one of season’s triumphs; reviews acclaimed Busoni’s gifts and hailed the maturity of Mahler’s Philharmonic. These marked Busoni’s first appearances with the Orchestra in a decade; he had made his Philharmonic debut, conducted by Anton Seidl, in 1892. Busoni first met Mahler while studying piano in Vienna and Leipzig. In addition to playing the piano, Busoni taught, conducted, and composed.

Busoni had a close personal and professional relationship with Mahler while in New York. The two were neighbors on Fifth Avenue (Busoni at The Hotel Netherland and Mahler at The Savoy) and Busoni's letters to his wife chronicle Mahler’s decline when he fell ill in February 1911. The work mentioned in the following audio clip is Busoni’s Berceuse élégiaque; the Philharmonic gave the World Premiere on February 21, 1911 — the very last concert Mahler led in his life.

Ferruccio Busoni: Letters to his Wife, translated by Rosamond Ley. Read by Forrest Buckman.

The union movement

When Mahler arrived in New York the US labor movement was reaching new levels of activity, drawing in all classes of society to both sides of the issue.​ In 1878 the New York City-based Musical Mutual Protective Union (MMPU) formed, taking the first steps toward unionizing musicians by establishing pay scales for different types of music. ​

One particular point of contention, protested successfully in 1897, was the wholesale importation of European musicians "as being instrumental in endangering the existence of musicians in this country and depreciating their opportunities to earn a respectable livelihood as American citizens."​

The movement quickly grew more robust, developing into the American Federation of Musicians we know today.

Among them was Mrs. Samuel Untermyer of the Philharmonic's Guarantors Committee. The New York Times, January 3, 1910.​ Read by Brendan Timins.

Building a new orchestra​

With a mandate to build the “greatest orchestra America has ever heard,” Mahler set out in the summer of 1909 to hire the best musicians around. The old Philharmonic’s base of permanent musicians had been depleted through competition, from other orchestras, and they would be replacement by players who, for the first time, would be selected a conductor rather than the musicians themselves. Of the 102 players listed in the spring 1909 program, only 56 would appear on the roster for Mahler’s opening concert in November. The greatest changes occurred in the wind sections; there were a fair number of adjustments in the second violins; eventually the entire timpani and percussion section would be replaced.​

This remarkable achievement was complicated by union work rules, as Mahler noted in a letter to the Philharmonic Manager, in which his “horse-trading” techniques come into play to garner the best musicians possible, whether from Europe or Chicago.​

New York Philharmonic Archives. Read by Brendan Timins.

General labor unrest

Between 1909 and 1910 some of the largest labor unrest took place, notably among boot and shoe workers, garbage haulers, and especially the Ladies' Garment Workers Union (the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire would occur in 1911). Nearly 100,000 workers were on strike at some point during this time. The issues were not just higher pay: the strikes led to regulated work weeks, overtime pay, and compulsory arbitration.​

Although there was no major labor action in the orchestra world, all of these new concepts became a common part of the American orchestra workplace for both musicians and management.

Carry It On, Songs of America’s Working People, Flying Fish Records, 1987

More on Mahler's New York

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Mahler's First Symphony

Mahler as Interpreter

Mahler and Women

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Mahler's New York: A Digital Festival from the New York Philharmonic