During his ten years in Vienna, Mahler had brought new life to the opera house and cleared its debts, but had won few friends—it was said that he treated his musicians in the way a lion tamer treated his animals.
Durante os seus dez anos en Viena, Mahler dera nova vida á ópera e liquidara as súas débedas, pero fixera poucos amigos—dicíase que trataba aos seus músicos como un domador de leóns trataba aos seus animais.