One of the greatest symphonists in Western music, Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was chiefly known as a conductor in his lifetime. Born to a poor Jewish family in German-speaking Bohemia, he steadily rose through the ranks of provincial orchestras to become one of Europe’s most acclaimed musicians. He could only compose in his spare time during summers; while he wrote songs, his fame rests on his nine symphonies and one orchestral song cycle Das Lied von der Erde, which are grand in scope, ambition, and emotional depth. A tormented man, his propensity to overwork himself led to his early death.