Film and Recent Popular Culture
Cambridge University Press eBooks November 19, 2020 Peter Franklin
Mahler's music, once a rallying force against tradition, found a new audience in the 1960s popular culture, spurred by his birth centenary and the long-playing record. This wave influenced not only musicians but also modern pop culture and the avant-garde, which bridged high and low culture through experimental and visionary experiences like Zen, magic mushrooms, and LSD. Examples surveyed include Jonathan Williams's poetry, Ken Russell's biopic, the 2004 Athens Olympics opening ceremony, the Adlons' dramatization of Gustav and Alma, and American television. The marketing challenges of Mahler's works in his time now allow his music to speak across racial and cultural identities.