Mahler"s life was a remarkably complex on, his success as a composer continually overshadowed by his craving for recognition as a composer. That recognition that never came in his lifetime. In Vienna, where he directed the Opera, Mahler was a prime target for rumor mongers. Nothing he did, whether private of public, escaped the attention of a Vienna avid for gossip. In this book, new light is shed on his strange relationship with Alma Mahler, his wife, and on his turbulent love affairs.The author portrays vivdly the conflict which arose from the demands made on Mahler by his enormously successful career, and his desperate desire to create great music. Illustrated with portraits of the people who made up Mahler"s world and photographs of places associated with him, this book unfolds Mahler"s story with impressive psychological insight.