Gustav Mahler: An Introduction to his Music

by Deryck Cooke

From the rear cover of this 127 page "This is by far and away the best short guide to Mahler's music, written expressly for music lovers by a great scholar who had an unparalleled gift for lucid and attractive exposition. The book contains full texts, in German and English, of all the poems set by Mahler in his songs and symphonies. For this new, second edition the translations have been carefully revised, and the composer David Matthews has contributed a new preface. Deryck Cooke, who died in 1976, was renowned world-wide as a Mahler scholar. His performing version of Mahler's uncompleted 'Tenth Symphony' published by Faber Music, has been recorded by Simon Rattle, and is widely performed."

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of the 1980s I bought this book in the music shop next to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, where I frequently attended concerts (I still do). Unlike with other books of mine, certainly in later years, this book is full of my underlinings and exclamation marks. Together they would make a sort of extended summary of the contence.
One of the most remarkable undertakings of Deryck Cooke concerns Mahler’s tenth symphony. Mahler left his tenth unfinished when he died in 1911. In 1960 Deryck Cooke wanted to give the public an idea how far Mahler had come in composing, with the first movement – an Adagio – practically finished, a so-called ‘full score draft’, as well as the third, called Purgatorio (a ‘four stave sketch). There was material of three other movements, far more embryonal. Cooke prepared a ‘performing version’. This led to the performance of December 19, 1960, at the end of the centenary celebrations of Mahler’s birth, organized by the BBC. When Mahler’s widow Alma heard about that, she vetoed further performances. After having a discussion and after listening to the BBC-tape twice, in 1963 she gave written permission, once and for all, to publish and perform Deryck Cooke’s version of Mahler’s tenth symphony. Others have tried, published, performed their version, but Cooke’s version, eventually published in 1976, is still the preferred version by most conductors. (But leading conductors like the late Bernard Haitink, refused to do the completion and stayed with the in their eyes only performable movement, the first Adagio.) Cooke died shortly after that 1976 publication. So what started as a simple BBC offer to write an explanatory note on Mahler’s work, ended in a standard performing version of Mahler’s last work, a monumental symphony.
I have attended nine performances of Cooke’s work so far, from 1984 to 2017. I am, by far, not a musicologist, but I have experienced the work as magnificent, as a whole.
Where were we, o yes, this book. Well, it was one of the first books I’ve read about Mahler. A fact about the edition. I own the original 1980 publication by Faber Music in association with Faber and Faber. That already has a preface by Colin and David Matthews. Cooke’s text is a pretty enjoyable introduction to read and ‘study’. JM

[IWB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by an eminent Mahler scholar (and classical musician and composer himself), this work is decidedly not about coming to an understanding of the complicated person of Mahler; rather, it is about introducing one to a number of Mahler's individual compositions. If you want the former, there are other books devoted strictly to biography.

Of course, there is some obligatory biographical information about his birth, family, upbringing and musical development; but this quickly gives way to the author's own speculations about the psychology of Mahler's music, which I find to be mildly amusing at best, but wholly divorced from evidence. At times, Cooke's guessing approaches something like old-school philosophers doing grand metaphysics: Cooke weaves Mahler's psychology, Mahler's putative profundity, and Mahler's Jewishness into a seeming psycho-ontic essentialist philosophy of music that is just pretentious and epistemically goofball.

Annoyingly, as seems to be the case with many musicians who write works about composers or performers, especially the so-called 'emotionally troubled' ones, such as Mahler or Beethoven, the authors often over-reach their expertise and try so hard to give some sort of 'deep' account of why the musician in question does the sort of things they do musically. Mind you, however, that it is usually done without the benefit of having a shred of training in psychology or philosophy beyond armchair hypotheses. (It reminds me of some of the nonsense that Jordan Peterson writes sometimes. The difference being that Cooke's non-evidentiary claims do not foster hierarchical oppression, sexism, and patriarchy.) This sort of surface level intellectualism occurs in the first part of the book.

Back to Mahler. Use this book as a guidepost for each individual composition presented; that is, open the book; listen to the piece that corresponds to the book entry; read Cooke's musical analysis while you listen to the piece. Doing so will help you understand and appreciate Mahler in ways that you likely could not have done on your own.

Keep in mind that taking on Mahler is taking on a colossus. Mahler is not easily accessible, if for no other reason than the length of many of his works, combined with the powerfully expansive orchestration that would have made Beethoven's knees buckle. At this point, your listening is not about whether you like what you are hearing or not (of course it helps if you like it), rather, the listening is about comprehending what you are hearing, to the extant that you can. ( In Schoenberg's and Josef Matthias' 12-tone stuff [they are different systems], I often do not care for what I am hearing; nevertheless, trying to understand what they are doing has brought me to the (right or wrong) idea that they may be the two most important composers of the 20th century.) Don't listen to more than one piece in a sitting (as if you have the time to do that anyway) or you will lose focus and burn out--Mahler is not dainty rococo music.

Enjoy! It is a privilege to be alive at this time to hear Mahler as we do, and Cooke's work can enhance that hearing.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deryck Cooke was a well known music0logist, and in addition to being a fine musician and composer himself, he became an expert on Mahler and Wagner in particular. He worked for the BBC for most of his career, and sadly died relatively young at 57. If you want to understand Mahler the composer, this book is essential in my opinion. Understanding Mahler the man is a much larger challenge, and there are several other fine books out there about Mahler. But as far as his music goes, Cooke's insights are invaluable, and reading this book has helped me appreciate Mahler much more.

Mahler is not for the faint of heart. The depth and emotional charge of his music is not easily encapsulated or described. Yet, there are recurring themes in almost all of Mahler's output that have to do with what it means to be human. I believe this is why Mahler will continue to endure and perhaps even gain popularity as time goes on. There is no sugar coating here, and Cooke does such a great job of describing it all. You should not take in too much Mahler at once, or you might explode in my opinion. The richness and profundity of his music means it is not frivolous or to be listened to in the background. This is not music as a representation of life, but rather music AS life itself.

The best way to read this book is by reading the entries for each work while simultaneously listening to that work. Because many of his works are prodigious in length, unless you have a photographic memory, you will not remember all there is to say about a work, or the various movements, especially of the symphonies. The massive length is a deterrent to many listeners, but I urge you to delve deeper into Mahler because the rewards are significant. I have come to treasure his music, and those conductors that advocated for him so strongly throughout the 20th century. Cooke's perspective is indispensable.

[Gnul1nux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the only book on Mahler's symphonies you will ever need. It's like the "extended versions" of the best liner notes you have read.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best introduction to Mahler and his music. Succint and small, with detailed, layman, explanation of his works. Read or use as reference.