X Symfonia Gustava Mahlera w rekonstrukcji Yoela Gamzou
Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 Reconstructed by Yoel Gamzou

Summary/Abstract: In 2010 Yoel Gamzou, a conductor born in Tel Aviv, joined the large group of artists who have included in their work their own versions of Gustav Mahler’s unfinished Symphony No. 10. This would be unsurprising were it not for the fact that when Gamzou began work on his version he was barely 16 years old. However, despite his tender age, he approached the task before him with great involvement and maturity. This is confirmed by seven years of work on the manuscript, multiple consultations with the most outstanding experts on Mahler’s music such as Henry-Louis de La Grange and Frans Bouwman, and the founding of the International Mahler Orchestra with whom Gamzou presented the outcome of his work. Reference to a certain kind of symbolism is also significant here (the premiere’s location – a synagogue – emphasised the mutual Jewish roots of Mahler and Gamzou, whereas the date – 5 September 2010 – was most probably the 100th anniversary of the moment the composer worked on the symphonic draft for the last time). Thus it is no surprise that Gamzou’s version was received positively both by critics as well as a wide audience, and is currently treated as equal to versions by more famous, award-winning composers such as Deryck Cooke and Rudolf Barshai.Among the many unfinished works which composers have left behind, the reconstruction of Mahler’s last Symphony – although the work itself was left at quite an advanced stage – seems to be an extremely complicated process for a few reasons. Firstly, the most important feature of Mahler’s work was his continuous transformation – the variation of musical thought – and in consequence the avoidance of schematicism in the creative process. Thus, complementing gaps in the score with existing note material from the original composer – a practice typical for many reconstructions – is not the correct solution here. Secondly, the individual parts of the Symphony were completed at various stages; therefore a different scope of tasks is required to finish each part. Thirdly, referring to Mahler’s master level in the area of instrumentation constitutes a considerable challenge. This is why it is worth studying the effects of Gamzou’s work more closely, especially since in his version – as he himself emphasises – he tried to strike a certain balance between a purely scientific approach and musical intuition. As a result he did not shrink from bold solutions, including correcting content derived directly from Mahler.

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