Alma Mahler

*This picture was taken of the buildings right across from the Opera house and where we talked about her.

    For this final Vienna blog post I am choosing to write about Alma Mahler. She has a complicated history. She has been known to be slut shamed throughout history. She was a fabulous lady who liked to have relations with men. If a man had done that, and they do, then they would be praised for their “game”. She is proof of the double standard that was present back then and even today. She is so much more than this label. She was a gifted composer and when Professor R. McFarland showed us some of her work, I totally thought she deserved the gifted part of that title. I may not totally agree with the choices she made in her personal life, I think she is a very skilled composer and deserves to be remembered as such. 

    I think her biggest contribution is how her story can serve as an inspiration and comfort for other women. In today's world, as a woman, It is hard to go through life without being called whore, slut, or any other words that fall into those categories. Even if these words are not true, we still get called them. By looking at Alma, women can stand strong and ignore these harsh labels. Furthermore, if a woman wants to do the things Alma did, then they can stand tall and know not to take the heat that anyone gives them. Women can do amazing things professionally, no matter what they choose to do in their personal time. 

    I do not think she has been commemorated well. She has no monuments or statues that I am aware of. I don’t remember the professors talking about any and I tried to look them up online and was unable to find any. I am not surprised by this fact because it was only recently that people started looking past her promiscuous activities and started focusing on how great a composer she was. I hope that as time goes on and people keep listening to her that she will be commemorated. Maybe some sort of composing award could be named after her, or a room in the opera house where her husband made opera serious.