The Midnight of Mankind: Nietzsche and Mahler

One of the most famous pieces in Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra is the poem “At Midnight.” Professor Wellbery will discuss this poem against the background of Nietzsche's life and philosophy. The presentation will include a consideration of Gustav Mahler's musical interpretation of the poem in the fourth movement of his Third Symphony. The themes of human existence and time in their relationship to poetry and music will be at the center of our discussion.