The Cleveland Orchestra Receives Gift Of The Autograph Manuscript Of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2

André Gremillet, President and CEO The Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, announced the historic gift to the Orchestra of the autograph manuscript of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," generously donated by one of its Trustees, the noted Austrian media executive and philanthropist Herbert G. Kloiber.

Written in the composer's own hand in 1894, the 232-page, unaltered document is the only complete autograph manuscript of the complete symphony in existence, and it contains the invaluable marks of Mahler's alterations and annotations. Long recognized for its affinity with the Austro-German repertoire, The Cleveland Orchestra will preserve the manuscript in partnership with the Cleveland Museum of Art, making it available to scholars, and accessible for public viewing in the future.

In celebration of this exceptional event, two performances of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 by Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra in Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center on September 29 and 30 will open the Orchestra's 105th season. The concerts will be preceded by a public viewing of the manuscript, free of charge, on September 28 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer of Severance Music Center and it will be on display for those attending the September 29 and 30 concerts.

The manuscript was purchased anonymously at auction at Sotheby's in 2016. Dr. Kloiber - an international trustee of The Cleveland Orchestra and chair of its European Advisory Board, as well as an advisory director of the Metropolitan Opera- has now been publicly identified for the first time as the previous owner of the autograph manuscript prior to generously donating it to The Cleveland Orchestra.

André Gremillet said, "The manuscript of Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony represents one of the great touchstones in the history of Western music. We are profoundly honored that Dr. Kloiber, a highly respected figure on the international music scene and a person with deep roots in Mahler's musical world, has chosen The Cleveland Orchestra to be the custodian of this invaluable treasure. It once again confirms the importance of Cleveland as one of the great cultural centers in the United States."

Franz Welser-Möst said, "Personally, and on behalf of The Cleveland Orchestra, I am incredibly grateful for my dear friend Herbert Kloiber for his most generous gift of the Mahler autograph score. The first time Herbert showed me the manuscript was a deeply moving occasion. As a musician and especially as a conductor, this is one of the most special moments you can experience in your life. To see Mahler's handwriting on the page and to follow his process, one feels even closer to the composer and to this masterpiece."

Herbert G. Kloiber said, "When I acquired the Mahler autograph score, I knew I was doing so only as a temporary caretaker, responsible for finding a permanent home for this magnificent document. My experiences with The Cleveland Orchestra in recent years, both on tour in Europe and in its wonderful concert hall at Severance Music Center, moved me to conclude that it would provide a wonderful home for this great document to reside."

Dr. Kloiber has formed a close relationship with The Cleveland Orchestra and its Music Director Franz Welser-Möst over many years, joining its Board in 2010 and chairing its European Advisory Board since its inception. In addition to being a generous donor to the Orchestra, Herbert Kloiber and his company Clasart Classic produced several critically acclaimed DVDs of performances by Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra, most notably of music by Bruckner and Brahms.

The document's provenance can be traced directly to Mahler's widow Alma, who gave the manuscript to the Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg. After Mengelberg's death, the Mengelberg Foundation retained ownership and it was eventually put on deposit at the Gemeentemuseum in the Hague in 1982. In 1984, the American financial publisher Gilbert Kaplan purchased the score. Following Kaplan's death in 2016, the manuscript was put up for auction at Sotheby's, where Herbert G. Kloiber purchased it anonymously.

In December 1910, Mahler made his only trip during his lifetime to Cleveland to conduct a concert of the New York Philharmonic at Grays Armory. The founder of The Cleveland Orchestra, Adella Prentiss Hughes, arranged that Cleveland be the first stop for the Philharmonic on its inaugural tour west from New York City.

In deep gratitude of their historic gift, performances of Mahler's Second Symphony are dedicated to Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Kloiber.