A very vivid picture of Mahler's life and his stormy career as Director of State Opera in Vienna, his habits when composing, his relations with Strauss, Bruckner and others, his later career as a conductor and his death. For much of his life composing was necessarily a part-time activity while he earned his living as a conductor and his compositions were only more readily recognised in the 1940s. His works are generally designed for large orchestral forces, symphonic choruses and operatic soloists. These works were frequently controversial when first performed, and several were slow to receive critical and popular approval; exceptions included his Second Symphony, Third Symphony, and the triumphant premiere of his Eighth Symphony in 1910. The International Gustav Mahler Institute was established in 1955 to honour the composer's life and achievements.