Mahler 9

The Final Movement (Adagio) - A Private Viewing of the Original Manuscript
at Bibliothèque musicale La Grange-Fleuret, Paris.
22 - 23 July 2025.

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Gustav Mahler made 6 separate visits to Paris:

 1900 – Mahler and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra visited Paris for 5 concerts in June, which were to prove a complete disaster. The concerts made so little that there is no money left for the orchestra’s tickets home. He had to make a call to a donor in Vienna.

 1907 – Mahler stayed for 4 days in December enroute to New York for the first time.  

 1909 – He spent some time in Paris during April on holiday and posing for his Rodin sculpture. He stayed at the Majestic Hotel, now the Peninsula.

 1909 – He returned to Paris later that year for more sittings with Rodin, which he did not enjoy. For such a busy man, being still for so long was not easy for him.

 1910 – Mahler arrived in Paris from New York on 13 April and conducted his own Symphony No. 2 on 17 April. He left for Rome two days later.

 1911 – He arrived in Paris for the final time on 16 April from New York. He was gravely ill and spent 26 days in the Defaut Sanatorium. Doctors gave permission for him to be moved directly to Vienna by the Orient Express train on 11 May. He died in Vienna on 18 May 1911.

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This is our chance to follow Mahler’s footsteps in Paris and to see
the original manuscript of the final movement of his Symphony No. 9
at the Bibliothèque musicale La Grange-Fleuret.

The Bibliothèque musicale La Grange-Fleuret (BLGF) has been located in a private mansion acquired by its founders in 1986, Maurice Fleuret and Henry-Louis de La Grange. They both wanted to make their collections accessible to the public under perfect conditions. Today, the BLGF holds forty archival collections (or "fonds d'archives") and several thousand documents that belonged to classical composers and performers from the 19th and 20th centuries, including an exceptional Mahler collection. Through concerts, meetings, conferences, and masterclasses, the BLGF aims to bring musical heritage to life through a rich and diverse range of events.

We shall be joined throughout our Event by Marina Mahler, the composer’s granddaughter and Founder of Mahler Foundation and also by Morten Solvik, Mahler scholar, Artistic Director of the Gustav Mahler Festival in Steinbach am Attersee and Vice President of Mahler Foundation.

Here is the current schedule (which may change):

Tuesday 22 July 2025

13:00 - Meet at Bibliothèque musicale La Grange-Fleuret at 11 Rue de Vézelay, Paris.
Welcome by Marina Mahler.
Welcome toast, tour of museum and view of Rodin sculpture.
13:30 - Mahler and Paris - Lecture by Morten Solvik, including the disaster tour of 1900,
the Rodin sittings in 1909 and the final visit in 1911.
14:30 - Lunch at the Bibliothèque.
16:00 - Visit to Musée Rodin where Mahler posed for Rodin sculpture.
Private Tour of Musée Rodin.
19:00 - Supper at restaurant with Marina Mahler and Morten Solvik as Special Guests.

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Wednesday 23 July 2025

10:00 - Meet at Bibliothèque musicale La Grange-Fleuret at 11 Rue de Vézelay, Paris.
10:30 - Mahler and his 9th Symphony - lecture by Morten Solvik (or other Mahler specialist).
11:30 - PRIVATE VIEWING OF ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT (Final Movement).
(It has recently been restored)
13:00 - Arranging Mahler 9 for piano - Lecture by Iain Farrington at the Bibliothèque.
14:00 - Lunch at Bibliothèque.
15:30 - Free time in Paris.
19:00 - SYMPHONY NO. 9 by GUSTAV MAHLER
arranged for SOLO PIANO by Iain Farrington.
Dinner and Performance by Iain Farrington in the Gustav Mahler Salon at the Bibliothèque.
Group Picture and end of Event.

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No need to pay now…….
We have only 30 places available for this Event.
The cost to attend is £3,995 per person
(accommodation not included - please make your own arrangements).

We are advised that there is no VAT to pay as the event is outside the UK.
Please see FAQ’s below.

Once we have 19 people interested in coming with us, we shall ask for payment.
If you are interested in being one of the 30 people to join us in Paris,
please register your interest here:
mark@originalmanuscriptsociety.com

Donations will be made to assist with performances and preservation of the manuscript for future generations.

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FAQ’s

  • No need to pay now.
    When we reach 19 people who would like to come, we shall ask for the total payment to be paid by electronic transfer to our UK bank account to confirm your place(s). We shall provide bank details for UK and International payments.

    The cost is £3,995 in UK Pounds per person.
    [At the time of writing this is €4,769 in Euros or $5,160 in US Dollars. Please ensure that we receive the full UK Pounds amount of £3,995 per person and remember that currencies do fluctuate].

    We cannot accept bookings for less than the full two day Event.

    Refunds. If you decide not to come after all, here is our refund policy:
    All refunds requested by you are subject to a deduction of any financial charges levied on us by the banking system, so the percentages below will be reduced by these amounts. We can refund 50% of the fee up to 22 April 2025. Thereafter, no refund will be made. All refunds require receipt by OMS of written notice within the above time periods by email.

    PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY SO AS TO AVOID ANY MISUNDERSTANDING.

    Cancellation by OMS. If OMS cancels the entire Event of its own volition, a full refund of all monies will be made. PLEASE NOTE: there will be no refund due from cancellation at any time due to sickness, disease, significant transportation issues, closure of any visitor attractions, civil unrest, bad weather or any last minute changes to the schedule or any event outside the control of OMS. Guests are encouraged to take out their own travel insurance cover to cover all eventualities, including any costs incurred as a result of cancellation by OMS.

    Please take the time to digest the implication of this clause.

  • We are advised that there is no VAT to pay because the event takes place outside the UK.
    If this advice changes and we become liable to charge VAT, then VAT will be payable in addition at 20% and we shall send this bill to you separately.

  • We are visiting several properties and they may not have step-free access. We shall visit each location before 22 April 2025 to create a risk assessment for each location and will report to each Guest(s) by email. At the time of writing, we cannot be sure that any or all locations will have step-free access.

  • Yes. You will see the menus well in advance to make your choices.

  • If you fall ill during the event, we shall do all we can to look after you. We shall call the necessary and appropriate people to look after you. Please note all costs associated with any illness are at your expense and you should ensure that you have adequate travel insurance to cover all and every eventuality.

  • We are often asked whether you can make your own accommodation arrangements. This is because you may wish to stay with friends or you make prefer different accommodation to the one we choose. As a result, we have decided NOT to offer accommodation. You must therefore make your own arrangements.

  • Guests are requested to make their own transport arrangements to and from Paris. Guests are provided with transport from the Bibliothèque to the Rodin Musuem. All other transport is not included. We cannot delay the Event for everyone else if you experience transport delays.

  • Ample alcoholic and soft drinks at meal times are included in the cost of the Event for the Dinner on Tuesday 22 July 2025 and the Dinner on Wednesday 23 July 2025.
    No alcohol will be offered during the day.

  • The Original Manuscript Society (OMS) is operated and run by OMS Events Limited, a UK limited company number 15645061 with VAT Number 479 5753 27.

    The OMS will put on this Event as advertised on the website www.originalmanuscriptsociety.com from time to time. It mentions on the website that the schedule may change. 

  • OMS expects our valued Guests to treat each other, OMS staff and anyone they meet during the Event, with respect and kindness. Any behaviour by a Guest(s) which the OMS staff in their absolute discretion regard as unacceptable may result in that Guest(s) being asked to leave the Event with immediate effect. Please take note of this clause.