M10 - Sanderling/Berlin RSO

[Karafan]

Hi all

And a Happy New year to one and all!

I have read some glowing recommendations for the above (1970s?) recording by Sanderling on Berlin Classics and wondered what the board felt about it?  I understand he added something to the standard Cooke 'completion'.

Views appreciated - thanks.

Karafan

[John Kim]

Along with Rattle's breathtaking rendition with BPO, the Sanderling is the only other Cooke version I'd keep on my shelf.

I have little to oppose against the Cooke edition. It's just that I am not as convinced about it as other are.

For me, either the Samale-Mazzuca (did I spell it right?) or the Carpenter version will do. Their completions sound 'fuller' and more authentically Mahlerian.

I'd recommend Sieghardt/APO/Exton for the former and Litton/DSO/Delos for the latter.

Going back to the Sanderling, yes, he added his own stuff at several spots even altering the original score. But Sanderling's reading strikes me as a near perfect realization of what's left over after Mahler's death. It's been some time since I visited the recording, so I can't say anything more than this.

John,

[James Meckley]

Karafan,

I agree with John's assessment, going so far as to say this is my favorite Cooke (or quasi-Cooke) version. I have the earlier release of this on the Ars Vivendi label. The recording location and date are given as: "Berlin, Studio Christuskirche, 1979." This is a recording of the 1976 AMP Cooke Performing Edition with additions and "corrections" by Kurt Sanderling. To quote from the liner notes:

"Sanderling believes that Cooke's greatest accomplishment was to have discovered what may be termed the tonal structure of the symphony. It is perfectly understandable, however, that Sanderling—like anyone else totally familiar with Mahler's manuscripts—should interpret details differently and prefer additions other than Cooke's. Sanderling wrote a number of corrections into the full score that he used."

I imagine Barry can go into considerable detail about the specifics of Sanderling's changes and additions.

James

[sperlsco]

I really like Sanderling's M10.  He made some significant efforts at filling in orchestration, most notably the percussion.  His changes are not 100% successful to my ears, but I like most of what he does.  IIRC, his ending to the first scherzo is one of the most noticeable (and successful) non-percussion differences.  I also like that he is a bit quicker in the outer movements and slower in the scherzo movements than many of the other "Cooke-ians" -- a trait he shares with the Gielen M10 (which is my favorite Cooke version). 

...and I never let a discussion of M10 pass without mentioning the Litton/Carpenter version.  That one is far and away my favorite M10.