Gustav Mahler Concert Poster

Objective —

To create a typographic poster that portrays the composer and the concert piece in a meaningful and compelling way
About —

Gustav Mahler was a major composer of his generation whose style reflected a blend of Romanticism and Modernism. He was a part of the Vienna Secession, a movement which emphasized the characteristics of expressionism. His composition “Symphony No. 5” starts off in a minor key, then transitions into a major key; it is considered a marching piece. Out of the five movements, the fourth movement is an exception in that it is the only part that establishes a calm feeling from a series of sustained notes; it is also special because it was inspired by his wife, Alma Schindler. The piece ends with a similar momentum that was reflected in previous movements. The shift from minor to major keys stands as a representation of his personal life’s trajectory.
Process —

To portray Mahler’s march, a dynamic scale shift reflects the juxtaposition of both majestic and calming features. The visual motifs of similar shapes at the bottom of the poster depict the repetition of similar musical motifs. Because Mahler was a part of the Vienna Secession, the overall style of the poster was influenced by the distinctive style of this movement and other artists.