Cooke I, Take Two

 

Inbal revisits Ormandy's footsteps.


Not many conductors go back to Deryck Cooke's original performing version of Mahler's Symphony no. 10, where the corrections in the 2nd edition are generally more convincing and oft performed.

Looking at the inside track listing on this recording, notes from Constatin Floros, Diether de la Motte, and Henri-Louis de la Grange make Mahler look like Bruckner. I don't know if these are choices Inbal chose in addition to Cooke I, if these were collaborative efforts, or even mere academic observations, but my mind really doesn't care about such things. One day perhaps I will explore these aspects.

One reason I like Eliahu Inbal in Mahler's Tenth, is he paces the work closely to the beloved Ormandy performance, yet digs his own path all the same. I feel this particularly in the middle three movements, where Inbal enjoys the musical characterizations.

The Frankfurt RSO will never be Philadelphia, and I hear this aspect mostly in the outer movements, yet this performance is their most convincing effort from their entire Mahler cycle. In my opinion, they end up more successful overall in Bruckner, but when they reached the 10th Symphony from Mahler, conductor and crew really had something to say about this music.

A review from 2024


Inbal’s Mahler Symphony 10 is very similar in overall timing with Eugene Ormandy from 1965, both of whom perform Cooke’s first performing version.


Yet Inbal is a little more loving with the outer movements and little more characterful with the inner movements. It is a lovely performance, and it is indeed nice to have a different Cooke I, which is rarely trod any longer.


The Frankfurt RSO is no Philadelphia Orchestra however, where the string are a little lighter, but generally this is extremely well played and Denon’s sonics are rather natural sounding.

Listen on YouTube

Works
Symphony 10

  I. 22.50
 II. 11.04
III. 3.58
IV. 11.04
 V. 21.53

Performers
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Eliahu Inbal, conductor

Label: Denon
Year: 1992
Total Timing: 70.49

I could easily give this recording a top billing, yet I prefer Ormandy to some degree.

Inbal can often underplay Mahler in his cycle of symphonies, but mostly avoids that here, and whips up some excitement amongst the symphony's inherent beauty.

Find more Mahler recordings HERE!