A Fifth of Mahler, Part Two

The Culture We Deserve · Nov 22, 2023 · 44m

We tend to think of the art world as being more progressive than the rest of society -- mostly because we confuse libertine with progressive -- but actually it's extremely conservative, especially when it comes to gender. In classical music, the men are geniuses, and the women are support systems or vessels or ornaments. Which is, in part, why Gustav's wife Alma, who certainly was no support system or vessel or ornament, is still reviled by fans of her husband's music today.

As we think about breaking down barriers to entry for the canon, so that people other than men might be considered…