Alma Mahler Study Day - Saturday 3rd November

[Penny]

I hope nobody minds my publicising an upcoming event on this forum.  On Saturday 3rd November at the Birmingham and Midlands Institute in Birmingham UK, the Gustav Mahler Society UK in the North and Midlands is putting on a study day and talk by the author Mary Sharratt.  This is based on her recent novel “Ecstasy”, a fictionalised account of the life of Alma Mahler, and will include readings from the book illustrated with recordings of some of Alma’s songs (both in the original piano accompaniments as well as the orchestrations by Colin and David Matthews) plus a couple of items of Gustav’s music.  It starts at 1.30 for 2pm, tickets are £15 to members of the public, or £13 to GMS members, plus booking fee through Eventbrite. 

[barryguerrero]

Thanks Penny. I hope you'll report your thoughts on the book. It would really be difficult to top Alma's actual life, at least in terms of salaciousness. Perhaps Ms. Sharratt expands upon Alma's musical life. Let us know how the event was.

[Penny]

Thanks Barry.  I'll report back on how it went, but can recommend the book, which I'm currently reading for the third time.  It covers Alma's life leading up to her meeting with Mahler, and their life together.  It's highly readable, written in a vivid and colourful style, and very thoroughly researched - I wrote a review of it for the Wayfarer, the newsletter of GMS-UK.  Mary Sharratt is on a mission to write strong women back into history, and among her previous six novels is "Illuminations" about the composer Hildegard of Bingen, which I've also read and can recommend.  Women composers have had a raw deal from history!

[barryguerrero]

Thanks Penny, I'll 'check it out'.

[Penny]

I'm pleased to report that our Alma Mahler event with Mary Sharratt on 3rd November was a great success.  To find out more, please click on the link to our Facebook page below: -

https://www.facebook.com/TheGMSUKNM/

Penny

[barryguerrero]

Thanks again. It looked fun.