Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 in A minor ("Tragische") is the only work in this concert. Ironically, this “tragic” symphony was composed during an exceptionally happy time in Mahler’s life; he had recently married and started a family. The sad parts came later, when one of his daughters died at age four, his wife had an affair, and he himself died in 1911 at age 50. Born to a Jewish family in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), Mahler was one of the leading conductors of his generation. In his lifetime, Mahler's own works attracted wide interest, but rarely unqualified approval. His music gained wide popularity only after periods of relative neglect, which included being banned as “degenerate” in much of Europe during the Nazi era.