Deryck Cooke facts for kids

Deryck Cooke (born September 14, 1919 – died October 26, 1976) was a talented British musician and expert on the composer Gustav Mahler. He was also known for his work as a musicologist, which means he studied music history and theory, and for broadcasting on radio and television.

Deryck Cooke's Early Life and Education

Deryck Cooke grew up in Leicester in a family that didn't have much money. His father passed away when Deryck was young. However, his mother made sure he could take piano lessons. Deryck became a very skilled piano player and started to compose his own music.

He attended Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys. From there, he earned a special scholarship to study organ at Selwyn College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he learned from famous teachers like Patrick Hadley and Robin Orr.

War Service and Return to Music

Deryck's studies were put on hold because of World War II. He joined the Royal Artillery and even took part in the invasion of Italy. Towards the end of the war, he played piano in an army dance band.

After the war, Deryck returned to Cambridge. Some of his musical pieces were performed and well-received. However, he felt his style was a bit old-fashioned. Because of this, he sadly destroyed most of his own compositions.

Working at the BBC and The Language of Music

In 1947, after finishing his studies, Deryck Cooke started working for the BBC. He worked there for most of his life, except for a few years (1959–1965) when he worked as a writer and critic on his own. At the BBC, he wrote and edited scripts for the music department. He also broadcast on radio and television, sharing his musical knowledge in a clear and easy-to-understand way.

In 1959, Deryck published his first book, called The Language of Music. In this book, he suggested that music is a way to express feelings. He showed how composers throughout history often used similar musical ideas to show the same emotions or dramatic moments.

Completing Mahler's Tenth Symphony

Around 1960, Deryck Cooke began a very important project. He worked with Berthold Goldschmidt to create a "performing version" of Mahler's 10th Symphony. Mahler had left this symphony unfinished.

Deryck first presented his work as a lecture on the BBC in 1960. The first full version of the symphony was performed on August 13, 1964. It was played at the Proms by the London Symphony Orchestra, led by Goldschmidt.

Later, Deryck worked with composers David Matthews and Colin Matthews to make even better versions. They wanted to make sure the music sounded as close to Mahler's original ideas as possible. The final version was published in 1976, and now Mahler's 10th Symphony is often performed by orchestras around the world.

Later Life and Legacy

In his final years, Deryck Cooke faced health problems. He sadly passed away too soon in 1976, at the age of 57. He had been working on a big study about Wagner's huge opera series, Der Ring des Nibelungen. He only finished part of the first book, which was published after his death as I Saw the World End. Another collection of his writings and talks was also published later, called Vindications. Deryck Cooke's important papers and notes are kept at Cambridge University Library.

Books by Deryck Cooke

• The Language of Music, OUP (1959)
• Gustav Mahler (1860–1911): A Companion to the BBC's Celebrations of the Centenary of his Birth (BBC, 1960); later updated by Colin and David Matthews.
• Ed. Deryck Cooke: Thematic Patterns in Sonatas of Beethoven, by Rudolph Reti (London, Faber, 1967)
• I Saw the World End: A Study of Wagner's Ring at Google Books (published after his death, 1979)
• Vindications: Essays on Romantic Music (a collection of his essays and broadcasts, published after his death, 1982)

Recordings

• An Introduction to Richard Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" (audio recording). This recording helps listeners understand Wagner's famous opera series. It includes parts from the Solti version and special demonstrations. It was recorded in 1967 and re-released on CD in 1995. You can read a transcript of Cooke's Introduction here.