Page "Alma Mahler" Paragraph 23

Alma played the piano from childhood and in her memoirs reports that she first attempted composing at age 9.

She studied composition with Josef Labor beginning in 1895.

She met Alexander von Zemlinsky in early 1900, began composition lessons with him that fall, and continued as his student until her engagement with Gustav Mahler ( December 1901 ), after which she ceased composing.

Up until that time, she had composed or sketched many Lieder, and also worked on instrumental pieces as well as a segment of an opera.

She may have resumed composing after 1910, at least sporadically, but the chronology of her songs is difficult to establish because she did not date her manuscripts.