The foreign confidant. As the chief of the Vienna State Opera, Gustav Mahler successfully forged new paths. As a composer, he struggled for recognition, while as a conductor, he was celebrated. His private life was overshadowed by a complicated marriage and the early death of his eldest daughter. Jens Malte Fischer narrates this tumultuous life in a nuanced, elegant, and vivid manner, presenting concise analyses of Mahler's works.