Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, it's a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that at some level of genius. It also helps that it's a long time ago, right?

It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream van plays music

when it's out of ice cream.

Listen to evil genius on BBC Sounds.

This is a download from the BBC.

For more information and our terms of use, go to BBC.co.uk slash radio three.

If you think you're boring your audience, go slower, not faster.

The words of Gustav Mahler.

But was there ever a composer less in need of that particular escape clause?

Mahler is enchanting, infuriating,

mesmerizing, but never boring. Well, as you can tell, I'm a fan. I have to say as children,

my sister and I had Marla dulled out in infancy alongside the Rusks and the laudanum. But if we,

the listeners, find Marla enthralling more than a century after his death,

in his lifetime, he was a force of nature who affected all who came into contact with him.

And tonight's performance of the Fifth Symphony contains the Adagieto, one of the most

famous orchestral love letters in history, dedicated to his wife Alma. But whether it was family or fellow

musicians, Marla's relationships were complex and tempestuous. Well, to reveal a portrait of Marla in his

own words and the words of those who knew him, I have the conductor, blogger, writer, cellist, and one-time

rock star Kenneth Woods.

Now, Kenneth has conducted nearly all marla's symphonies and most of the songs,

and most recently has recorded thus lead von der Eder with the orchestra of the Swan.

And to read for us, we have with us the actor, Nicholas Bolton.

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