ABSTRACT
The poverty in which Gustav Mahler spent his student years in Vienna had a peculiar and important effect on his artistic development. For the sake of accuracy, the chronicler should note that there was a short intermezzo in Prague during Gustav Mahler's time at the school in Iglau. With sincere respects Mahler Schwarz's visit to Iglau resulted in Bernhard Mahler withdrawing his objections to the planned journey to Vienna. Bernhard Hahnefeld and Mahler together with Gustav Schwarz boarded the train to Vienna. 'Melion' is no figure from Greek mythology, but an actual and genuine smoker of Three Kings tobacco: the private coach of the young Mahler in Iglau, who prepared him for his school examinations. This coaching was all the more necessary since the young Mahler, a student at the Vienna Conservatoire since 1875, was registered at the grammar school in Iglau from 1875 to 1877 only as an external student.
