40th Music Weeks in honour of Gustav Mahler

From 1908 to 1910 Gustav Mahler spent his summer holidays in Dobbiaco and composed his last three orchestral works here. In his honour, the Gustav Mahler Music Weeks have been held annually since 1981, and since 1999 at the Grand Hotel Cultural Centre. The festival includes orchestral and chamber concerts by renowned artists, exhibitions, and lectures on Mahler’s work and world.

In 2020, the Gustav Mahler Music Weeks were unfortunately cancelled due to covid and held in a digital form. This year, fortunately, the events will again take place on site.

Dobbiaco – A place of comfort and recuperation for Mahler

Gustav Mahler first came to Dobbiaco in July 1897, when he went on a bicycle tour through the Pustertal valley from Vahrn. In the following years he returned here again and again to refresh himself mentally from his work on the 4th to 8th symphonies during his excursions.

In July 1907 his daughter died and Mahler sought refuge in Schluderbach and Misurina. In the summers of 1908 to 1910 he then settled with his wife Alma and daughter Anna outside Dobbiaco in the Trenkerhof in Alt-Schluderbach. Somewhat apart from this, he had a “composer’s cottage” built.

All photos are from https://www.kulturzentrum-toblach.eu/

As the story goes, he spent “most of the day there and was not to be disturbed by anyone, not even his wife”. Here are his last three important works: Das Lied von der Erde (1908), the Ninth Symphony (1909) and the unfinished Tenth Symphony (1910).

Mahler often went for walks in the village centre of Dobbiaco or hiked to Aufkirchen, went on excursions in the surrounding area and received many guests. For example, Richard Strauss and his wife, with whom he dined at the Grand Hotel. Mahler left Dobbiaco in September 1910. It was to be his farewell forever, as he died in Vienna the following May.

In 1981, a small, ambitious and internationally recognised music festival was created in Mahler’s honour. In his summer landscape, the Dolomites. The Gustav Mahler Music Weeks are committed to his tradition and his work and are a meeting place for Mahler’s music, scholarship and discography.

Gustav Mahler Music Weeks from 17 to 29 July 2021

Visitors can expect not only the finest chamber music, but also lectures, presentations and talks, as well as an exhibition on the theme of “40 Years of Gustav Mahler Music Weeks in Dobbiaco”. You can find the extensive programme of events here.

Perhaps you would like to learn a little more about the life and works of Gustav Mahler.

Musical greetings