KLEMPERER 1885-1973 ON MAHLER

Otto Klemperer remembers that he met Mahler more than once in Hamburg. He had a peculiar jerky walk as he was pulling one leg slightly . At that time he was into making strange faces and Klemperer kept following him and staring at him as if he was a deep sea monster.

Later on Klemperer met him in Vienna at a rehearsal, Mahler conducting the second symphony. I approached him and asked him if he was pleased with the offstage chorus.

No he said they are dreadfull!!!!!! He gave further instructions on the way he would like them to play.

At the age of 22 Klemperer visits Herr Mahler in Vienna in order to present his trancryption for piano of the second symphony. He sat on the piano and Mahler listened to him with great attention. When he finished he told him he liked his playing and also that he should continue on the piano playing.

Klemperer had to reveal to him the real reason of his visit. He needed a letter of recomendation in order to start conducting ..He refused no no he said it is a great sesponsibility and things can be mistaken and go wrong. Then he told him to go and visit someone else for the recomendation. Klemperer left empty handed only to go back a couple of days later .He explained to the master that a written recomendation was essential.

Mahler got a visit card and wrote on it:Herr Otto Klemperer is a great musician despite his young age and i fully recomend him for the post of music conductor.

Gustav Mahler