Embrace Everything - The World of Gustav Mahler
Aaron Cohen
The Embrace Everything podcast series is an exploration and celebration of the music of Gustav Mahler. Throughout his life Mahler insisted that music had to, literally, embrace everything. This makes his compositions unusually rich in what they offer both audience and musicians. It’s often delightfully quirky one moment and then deeply tragic the next. Mahler did not shy away from introducing the most low-brow, commonplace musical tune alongside the most radiantly sublime words in all of spiritual literature. Gustav Mahler meant what he said: music has to embrace everything.Each season of the series explores a different Mahler symphony. The series already includes more than 100 interviews with leading conductors, music scholars, and orchestral musicians—all of whom have extensive first-hand experience with the music, offering an abundance of insights into just what makes Mahler’s music so unique. Additionally, comments from Mahler and his contemporaries are read by actors throughout the programs. Each episode explores how Mahler drew not just from the world of music but from the other arts, from the world of nature, and from life itself. Anything that attracted Mahler’s attention was liable to find its way into the music. How did he do this? That’s something each episode investigates.Interviews thus far include members of the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the London Symphony Orchestra.Embrace Everything has topped podcast charts around the world. The series reached #1 on the Apple Music Commentary, Music History, or Music charts in more than 25 countries and has won 15 international awards in the last three years.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 7, 2020 • 27min
Movement Four – The Battle of Fate (S1, Ep.4)
Michael Tilson Thomas, William Hudgins, and Jennifer Montone discuss Gustav Mahler's First Symphony, focusing on the intense battle between hero and fate in the fourth movement. They explore the inspiration behind the violin melody, the autobiographical elements in Mahler's symphony, and his views on triumph in death. The podcast concludes with acknowledgments and information on the performers.
Jul 7, 2020 • 15min
Movement Three – The Huntsman’s Funeral (S1, Ep.3)
Colorado Mahlerfest 39 is coming up! May 13 to 17 in Boulder, Colorado.Embrace Everything listeners can get discounted tickets, merchandise, and access to special features. More information here:https://mahlerfest.org/pages/embrace-everything*****Early audiences found the third movement of Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony grotesque, macabre and unsettling. Inspired by an engraving entitled “The Huntsman’s Funeral,” Mahler juxtaposes death with humor, incorporating a popular children's melody—a brilliant touch that still delights and spooks audiences today. *****Starring:*JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler*LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-LechnerGuests include:*WILLIAM HUDGINS - Principal Clarinet, Boston Symphony Orchestra*DOMINIC SELDIS - Principal Bass, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam*MARILYN McCOY - Columbia University*PHILIP V. BOHLMAN - University of Chicago*CHRISTIAN GLANZ - University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna*****Support us on PATREON:https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membershipSee the new EMBRACE EVERYTHING MUG on our website:https://www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/donate.htmlFor a tax-deductible one-time contribution, support us on FRACTURED ATLAS:https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/embrace-everything-the-world-of-gustav-mahlerContributions of any size are appreciated.For more information, contact us at support@theworldofgustavmahler.org*****EPISODE LINKS:Season 1, Episode 3: www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/episode3.htmlEmbrace Everything Website: www.theworldofgustavmahler.orgEMBRACE EVERYTHING SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theworldofgustavmahlerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theworldofgustavmahler/X: https://x.com/worldofmahlerBluesky :https://bsky.app/profile/worldofmahler.bsky.socialBONUS CONTENT:https://www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/extras.htmlPODCAST LINKS:Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3YU4tWnSpotify: spoti.fi/3TjHfb7
Jul 7, 2020 • 18min
Movement Two – All Music Proceeds from the Dance (S1, Ep.2)
In the second movement of his First Symphony, Gustav Mahler draws upon the dance music of his youth. As his mood becomes more exuberant, so too, does the music.*****Starring:*JAMES LURIE as the voice of Gustav Mahler*LAURA GRAGTMANS as the voice of Natalie Bauer-LechnerGuests include:*MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS – Conductor (San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra)*KENT NAGANO – Conductor (Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony Orchestra)*MARILYN McCOY - Columbia University*PHILIP V. BOHLMAN - University of Chicago*CHRISTIAN GLANZ - University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna*****Support us on PATREON:https://www.patreon.com/u91819874/membershipSee the new EMBRACE EVERYTHING MUG on our website:https://www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/donate.htmlFor a tax-deductible one-time contribution, support us on FRACTURED ATLAS:https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/embrace-everything-the-world-of-gustav-mahlerContributions of any size are appreciated.For more information, contact us at support@theworldofgustavmahler.org*****EPISODE LINKS:Season 1, Episode 2: www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/episode2.htmlEmbrace Everything Website: www.theworldofgustavmahler.orgEMBRACE EVERYTHING SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theworldofgustavmahlerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theworldofgustavmahler/X: https://x.com/worldofmahlerBluesky :https://bsky.app/profile/worldofmahler.bsky.socialBONUS CONTENT:https://www.theworldofgustavmahler.org/extras.htmlPODCAST LINKS:Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3YU4tWnSpotify: spoti.fi/3TjHfb7
Jul 7, 2020 • 22min
Movement One – Isn’t This a Splendid World? (S1, Ep.1)
Explore Gustav Mahler's first symphony and his connection with nature. Learn about his early years, influences, and composition process. Discover his cycle of songs and the eternal evolution in his music.
Jun 10, 2020 • 2min
Season 1 - Mahler's First Symphony
Take a deep dive into Mahler's Symphony No. 1 as the podcast explores its origins in childhood street songs and bugle calls. Featuring interviews with conductors, musicians, and scholars, each episode focuses on a different movement of the symphony.
