Sigma Alpha Iota

Winter 2021 20 20 P A N P I P E S A World of Music MAHLER HOUSE MAHLER HOUSE A Treasure in Jihlava, A Treasure in Jihlava, Czech Republic Czech Republic By Jayne I. Hanliny Jayne I. Hanlin y Jayne I. Hanlin May May 18 and July 7, the dates of the death and birth of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), mark the beginning and ending of the Music Festival Mahler Jihlava — Music of ousands in the Czech Republic. For almost two decades, the annual celebration has occurred in this city because it is where Gustav's Jewish, German- speaking family moved to live when he was three months old. Twenty-five kilometers away is his birthplace, the Bohemian village of Kaliště near Humpolec. At that time both places were in the Czech Kingdom and part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Confiscated as a German property aer World War II and later a factory site, today's Mahler House was proudly purchased by the town of Jihlava in the 1990's and restored, opening as a museum in 2008. Earlier, in the centenary of Mahler's birth, a commemorative plaque was inlaid on the façade near the front entrance. e family lived in the building until Gustav was twelve and then moved next door. His parents, Bernard and Marie, had 14 children. In spite of domestic problems, the couple remained together. At Mahler House there is a smart phone audioguide available to download, but I was privileged to have Director Jana Součková, a musicologist, provide a private tour of this small, impressive museum. While young children can easily walk downstairs from the first floor, adults must duck their heads en route. On this lowest-level is a tap room constructed to resemble the one run by Gustav's father, a distiller. Greeting visitors in the first room on the second level are three groups of cutout life-size figures representing the city's German, Jewish, and Czech populations that changed percentages through the centuries. ere is also a short documentary with an overview about Mahler's time in Jihlava. e floor's largest room contains the main displays. Huge boards with a teal background (matching the color of the walls and the printed descriptions on the glass cases of permanent exhibits) have layouts that include copies of documents, photographs, and newspaper articles along with multi-language descriptions. Each board has a number and focuses on a specific topic — such as Mahler's Clan and Family, School Time, and e Musical Tradition of Jihlava — all relating to the composer's life in the local community. For young visitors, there are special areas with musical activities or projects. For example, using a red clipboard and a yellow pencil, inquisitive students can complete a clever, colorful worksheet about the composer. Four-year-old Gustav discovered a piano in his grandfather's attic and liked it immediately. e collection's oldest Mahler photograph was taken the following year. His father's choleric and aggressive temperament starkly contrasted with his mother's calm demeanor. It is said that when Gustav was six, he wrote his first compositions — one as an "order" from his father and the other as a "job" for his mother. As a young child, he played the harmonica and the accordion. At ten, he gave his first concert in Jihlava at Jana Součková (on left), Jana Součková (on left), director at Mahler House, director at Mahler House, with Jayne Hanlin with Jayne Hanlin

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