Gustav Mahler (1860-1811)
Symphony No. 10 in F Sharp (1910-11); third performing version by Deryck Cooke (1976/1989)
Wiener Philharmoniker/Daniel Harding
rec. 2007, Musikverein, Grosser Saal, Vienna       
Deutsche Grammophon 4777347 [78]

This debut DG recording by Daniel Harding was very positively reviewed by Anne Ozorio in June 2008 when it was a Recording of the Month and again the following December by Mark Sebastian Jordan who called it “a step up to a new level…a triumph…not to be missed”; the latter was recently featured as a Déjà Review. As much as I love the symphony in its diverse reconstructions, I had never heard this recording by the then young Harding, having on my shelves various issues of the three Cooke versions by Goldschmidt, Ormandy, Rattle (twice), Inbal, Sanderling and Dausgaard (see my review), and those made and conducted by Yoel Gamzou (see my review and that by Marc Bridle) and Rudolf Barshai. Addicts who want every possible recording of the Cooke versions can add those by Levine, Wigglesworth (twice: live and studio), Chailly, Morris, Vänskä, Nézet Séguin and Gielen; then there is the Carpenter completion conducted by Andrew Litton and rather sceptically reviewed by Tony Duggan in 2003, the Wheeler version conducted by Olson (review), the Samale/Mazzuca version conducted by Sieghart, and finally, Mazzetti’s first version conducted by Leonard Slatkin and his second version conducted by Jesús López Cobos – again, see Tony Duggan’s review. Phew. Enough, surely?

Harding has had a very distinguished career without perhaps ever becoming quite as prominent as his early promise suggested he would. He is, however, currently music director of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, following Pappano, which is hardly anything other than a first rank post. His recordings have been mostly with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra – again, important ensembles but not the biggest names. This was the earlier of two recordings he has made with the VPO, who are certainly as great a Mahler orchestra as any and this recording, as per the reviews above, met with widespread acclaim.

This is a grand, sweeping account without becoming ponderous. In the first movement, Harding and the VPO capture its piercing, bitter-sweet lyricism shot through with anguish and occasionally relieved by the Ländler and folksy dance motifs in which the orchestra is equally at home. Their beautiful tone in an ideal recording balance are additional assets. The famous “crisis chords”, executed with the majesty of organ diapasons, are not punched out to crude effect but simply great, swelling cries of pain which emerge naturally from what precedes them and the coda takes its place as a striving for peace and consolation after the turmoil. I often think that had we not had the remainder, this movement could have stood by itself as a complete, self-contained masterpiece and the cohesion of Harding’s delivery here confirms that impression it is that rare thing: perfect.

The first Scherzo is taut and driven without being frantic, but relaxes in the two trio sections; the constantly shifting time signatures are deftly negotiated. Harding does not try to make the little Purgatorio movement too imposing but treats it as a wry, questioning prologue to the weightier, more disturbing, second Scherzo. The demonic and the homely jostle for supremacy and Harding gets the ambivalence just right, bringing the movement to a close almost diffidently, as if undecided, fading into indecision. The sombre, bass drum-beat opening to the finale and the sweetly piercing flute solo joined by soaring strings are exquisitely paced and played, without undue haste or lingering, just letting the melody bloom; what a sumptuous sound the VPO makes here before the shocking reappearance of the drumbeat at 6:32 shatters the serenity and ushers in the reprise of the chattering, nagging Scherzo theme then the return of The Scream chord. Despite the comparatively long duration of this movement at 25 minutes, Harding keeps the tension by not letting the music sag or distend as Levine tends to do. The final nine minutes, beginning at 16:00, constitute the most heart-wrenchingly poignant postlude to Mahler’s tumultuous life and creative output, and are played with melting tone.

This remains a gold standard recording of the last version of Cooke’s completion.

Ralph Moore

Previous reviews: Anne Ozorio (June 2008 Recording of the Month), Mark Sebastian Jordan (December 2008)

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