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Mahler's œuvre is relatively small in size though extremely wide in scope, depth and complexity.

For much of his life composing was necessarily a part-time activity while he earned his living as a conductor, but he devoted as much time as he could to his compositions, faithfully reserving his summer months for intense periods of creative concentration, supplemented as time permitted during his active concert seasons with the tasks of editing and orchestrating his expansive works.

Aside from early works such as a movement from a piano quartet composed when he was a student in Vienna, Mahler's works are designed for large orchestral forces, symphonic choruses and operatic soloists.

Most of his twelve symphonic scores are very large-scale works, often employing vocal soloists and choruses in addition to augmented orchestral forces.

These works were often controversial when first performed, and several were slow to receive critical and popular approval ; exceptions included his Symphony No. 2, Symphony No. 3, and the triumphant premiere of his Eighth Symphony in 1910.

Some of Mahler's immediate musical successors included the composers of the Second Viennese School, notably Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern.

Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten are among later 20th-century composers who admired and were influenced by Mahler.

The International Gustav Mahler Institute was established in 1955, to honour the composer's life and work.