Was Mahler more influenced by Eastern European composers or Westen Europrean composers?

Answer 1

If by 'Eastern European' you mean the predominantly Slav nations of the then Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires, then their influence likely amounted to next to nothing, except for the blends of popular dance music that formed a natural backdrop to daily life for any denizen of Vienna of the period. The first influence both in rank of importance and chronology, was Wagner, to whom Mahler was almost ecstatically devoted as a young man, as were so many of his contemporaries throughout Europe at the time. The second was Bruckner, with whom he became acquainted both musically and personally after attending Bruckner's lectures in the late 1870s, an acquaintance that subsequently developed into a personal relationship of some depth. (Mahler's first published offering, 1878, was a piano arrangement of Bruckner's 3rd Symphony, which demonstrably required an in-depth study of Bruckner to accomplish the task at all.) Another influence, showing itself primarily in the form of exhuberant romanticism, derived to some degreee from his great love for Carl Maria von Weber, something that led Mahler to a labour of love preparing a workable performing version of Weber's opera 'Die Drei Pintos' out of what had remained mere sketches at Weber's death.

No comparable Eastern European figure, major or minor, springs readily to my mind in this regard at all.

Answer 2

I agree with rdenig. It is difficult to detect any strong influences of any other composers in Mahler's music - his style is well formed from from the beginning. Although born in what in now Bohemia, Mahler was an Austrian Jew by culture. Of course, he would have been aware of the heritage of Germanic music (Beethoven, Schumann, Wagner, Bruckner) but the outside influences which do show themselves in Mahler's music tend to be those of the Ländler (the rustic, waltz-like Austrian country dance which turns up all over the place in his music), Jewish music (especially in his earlier music - listen to the middle section of the slowmovement of the First Symphony, for example) and funeral marches (there is a funeral march somewhere in every piece Mahler composed).

He was very much part of the central European Viennese-centric tradition of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and influences from composers further east (I presume you meant Russia) just did not figure.

Answer 3

Mahler was very much 'his own man' I find it difficult to hear any influences in his music. He was an 'influencer' (e.g. Britten) rather than an 'influenced' I shall be interested to see if anyone disagrees with me.

Answer 4

Wagnerite who writes in a very pianistic style

Mahler didn't have his own distinctive style..other than unique imperfections

what are the above guys on.....his orchestrations are naive.....he is so heavily in Wagnerr's debt that he is halfway up his colon!

That said....there are bits of his music that I simply adore....but his overwhelming fault his lack of concision.......he goes on and on and on....6th symphony for example......he is obviously truing to imitate his hero Wagner but hasn't got the technical mastery, nor the imagination....

.......You could cut 45minutes from the 1st symphony (by far and away his best) and still not lose any significant music from it