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I might add that Mahler once played Rotts symphony on the piano for all Rotts friends (Rott was at the asylum). One of Rotts best friends (Joseph Seemuller) told Rott when he visited him at the asylum. Rott was by this time quite confused and absent. His answer or reaction might be of interest. He only said "Yes, Mahler is a genius." Mahler also later planned to perform the symphony as conductor at Hof Opera - I think it was in 1900 - but he never did. This also has created some speculations and discussions of course  ... But all this talk about Mahler stealing "everything" from Rott. Especially Paavo Järvi seems to be totally convinced of that. But I think it is of course pretty unfair. Mahler and Rott were mates for some time. They had very different personalities but they shared the same passion for the same kind of music and they were both as young students fascinated by Wagner and enthusiastic members of the Wagner society in Vienna. At school they later participated in a kind of competition and examination work. Mahler got the first prize and they laughed at Rott. Eight pupils in the class. Seven prizes and Rott got none. He found comfort though in two things. Bruckner stood up for him at the examination and he also had another very unexpected supporter: When Mahler got home with his prize his mother was very angry with him and said that Rotts piece of music was much better than his! Nice compliment indeed ...  Well ...  ;-)

Rotts symphony was completed 1879. Mahlers first symphony was completed 1888. So who plagiarised who is maybe a delicate question. We know that Mahler and Rott were mates. Students of the same class. Of course they had much in common and of course they inspired eachother. But as said - Rotts symphony was completed some 9 years before Mahlers ...

Reagrding Rotts fatal mishap compeeting for the national scholarship where Brahms, Hanslick and Goldmark formed the jury - the biographies just give you the protocols from the jury session. Rott does not write much about it in his letters. It is rather between the lines. Anothger interesting thing is that Rott in the end got the state scholarship despite the harsh verdict of Brahms and Hanskick. My guess - and in my novel - I assume this is the work of Goldmark. On the other hand. When Rott got the the state scholarship it was too late. He was in a mess, locked up in a asylum.

I agree fully. There are biographic articles about Rott on the net but no complete english translation of the german books. I have posted on other forums a "comment" on Rott and Brahms and Rotts fatal destiny. If you do not mind I post it here as well. For the readers who are not so familiar with the subject it might be of interest. So here it is:

About Rott and Brahms
Off course you cannot totally blame Brahms for Rotts menthal decease and disaster. There are always circumstances and more than one factor behind things like that. We might take a brief look at Hans Rotts life and situation in the late 1870:s. Rott adored his mother above all. She died from leukemia 1872 when he was 14 years of age. This was one of the first disasters in his life. A few years later his father - a famous actor in Vienna, had an accident on the stage that ended his brilliant career. The family's economy was totally ruined and Rotts father sold furniture and other things of some value to survive. In those days there were seldom "good pensions" or insurances that could cover for the unexpected. Two years after the accident Rotts father died. Hans Rott was then 18 and suddenly he and his younger brother was all that was left of the family. And Hans Rott was to struggle for their survival. Anton Bruckner had got him a job as organist in the Piaristen Church in Vienna. A much underpaid job but it gave him a department and a piano was placed in his room. Hans and his brother had to rely on help and gifts from friends to make it. Hans Rott was a deeply religious man and all his life he felt guilty because he and his half-brother had different fathers and that their parents were not married when they were born. He was also extremely sensitive and vulnerable. At the same time he had the highest plans and visions about his future as a conductor and composer. In the summer of 1879 he met the love of his life - Louise Löhr, a younger sister to his friend Freiedrich Löhr. In 1880 he had finished the orchestration work with his first symphony. He was about to marry Louise and hopefully thought he could win a scholarship with his symphony and maybe also the great Beethoven prize with a string sextet he had written. Anyway his great symphony should give him a "position in the society" and also a well paid job as an organist in one of the great churches or a prominent job as a conductor. He also contacted Hans Richter, the famous conductor, to have the Wiener Philharmonics to perform his symphony. 17 sept 1880 he stood in front of the mighty jury with the best and highest of hopes. And it turned out to become thee traumatic catastrophe of his life. There were three men in the jury, Eduardo Hanslick, Karl Goldmark and Johannes Brahms. Brahms accused Rott of theft and claimed Rott could by no means have written the symphony himself. He also recommended the young man to do whatever in life but dealing with music. Now, Hans Richter was Rotts last chance to stay and work in Vienna, the place he loved over all. If Richter would perform his symphony Rott did not have to accept a job as a choir leader in Mulhausen hundreds of miles from his beloved Louise and home city. But Richter turned him down. In a state of despair and defeat he got on the train to Mulhausen October 21. There was to be a stop at Linz and Rott had to spend the night at a hotel. We know he could not sleep because they heard him cry all night that Brahms was bolting in the walls all the time. We also know that he the next day threatened a man with a gun, shouting that Brahms had loaded the train with dynamite and he ordered the poor passenger to immediately "kill" his cigar. In the town of Simbach they arrested Rott and brought him to The Psychiatric Clinic of the General Hospital in Vienna "in a completely crazy state".
After an attempt to take his own life he was transferred the provincial Asylum of lower Austria. Here he stayed for almost four years and died from tuberculosis. From this one might realize that Johannes Brahms was perhaps not the one and only reason behind Rott collaps. It is quite evident though that he started the process that so sadly ended Rott in an asylum. We also know that Anton Bruckner openly accused Johannes Brahms - who also attended the ceremony - of Rotts mental collapse and early death. Right or wrong - Brahms was the evil daemon in Hans Rotts imagination and short life. One might add that Rott about five months after the fatal jury decision got his scholarship from the education department - despite Brahms harsh treatment. But then it was already too late and Rott was all indifferent.
There have been many speculations about Brahms very rough behavior against Rott. We can see two kinds of reasons here. First, Brahms might have had personal reasons to dislike Rott. Secondly, it was a matter of politics. Brahms and Hanslick were defenders of the old school. Their great antagonist was Wagner and they also saw Anton Bruckner as a Wagner follower. Especially Hanslick was full of disgust and hatred when he wrote his sarcasms over Bruckner and Wagner in the leading music journals and papers. Hans Rott was in Brahms and Hanslicks eyes a true Wagnerian and must be fought to any cost. But there might have been personal reasons. Rott used a Schumann motif a couple of times in his symphony which easily could remind Johannes Brahms of his beloved Clara Schumann. Rott also used some of Brahms motifs from his first symphony in the final. Brahms might have thought that the young man was making fun of him. And maybe another thing – Hans Rott was only 20 years of age when he wrote his first symphony. Brahms himself was 40! Bruckner at Rotts funeral speech accuses Brahms of nothing but pure jealousy.

Maybe some of you already have read or know about the following books about Hans Rott. Anyway - I have had ver good use for them:

Johannes Volker Schmidt: "Hans Rott Lebend und Werk"
Georg Olms Verlag AG, Hildesheim 2010
   
Hans Rott (1858–1884): "Biography by Maja Löh, commented by Uwe Harten, Verlag: Der Österreischisen Akademie Der Wissenschaften, Wien 2000

It is a novel and about 270 pages. The genre is "biofiction" and the view is "erlebte rede". There is also an afterword with appendix, sources, some of Rotts poetry and presentations of most people involved in his life. It is all like an "Aristotelic" drama. You presnt a problem, it grows to a point of turning and then the catastrophy. Just "sorry" it is written in Swedish, but that is my native language. I can make a simpel translation  to english of some chapter but have no time at the present. If you are somewhat interested I could mail you some pages and you can use Google for the translation. You might just get the picture.

Yes - that is the way I translated it actually - that little word "how" just disappeared ...   

I have written a novel about Hans Rott. "Unfortunately" it is written in Swedish and so far printed in some few ex. It is to be published later on. It should of course be translated so it could be more widely read perhaps in specifically Austria and Germany ..? Maybe it will be translated further on. Anyone here may have some advice or opinion? The titel is: "Komponisten – eller att döda ett geni" in English: "The composer – or to kill a genius" It is about 270 pages.

Regards