In 1907, Gustav Mahler visited Helsinki, where he met Jean Sibelius. The two towering composers went for a walk in nature, when unsurprisingly the talk turned to shop.
It was Mahler who lent an exclamation point, as they swapped observations on the symphony. Poor Sibelius was taken off-guard, as he was merely contemplating the nuts and bolts. “I admire its severity of form and profound logic,” he said. To which Mahler, seizing the advantage, replied, “A SYMPHONY MUST BE LIKE THE WORLD. IT MUST EMBRACE EVERYTHING!”
If I know Sibelius, after that, his private thoughts were full of vodka and cigars.
Happy birthday, Gustav Mahler, one intense S.O.B.
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