Franck: Cello Sonata
Benjamin Godard: Cello Sonata
Corinne Morris (cello), Petr Limonov (piano) (Somm)
(scroll down for English review)
這碟把兩首1886年的作品並置，我有興趣的是高達的《大提琴奏鳴曲》（軌五至七），所以先聽它再決定聽不聽法朗克（其實即是小提琴那首）。
三個樂章共長半小時，第一樂章以搖曳的9/8節奏推動，氣氛較陰沉，我覺得是聽feel多過聽旋律。三分鐘的提示部我覺得寫得太長，去到一半已覺悶，提示部再重覆一次已經是半個樂章了。第二樂章的旋律較為平靜，同樣是聽feel多一點。
第三樂章頗急速，將第一樂章的搖曳複拍，轉以躍動的6/8節奏呈現，也在中段融合第二樂章那種平靜旋律。總體來說，這首作品我覺得問題還是長度，材料不足，比方說高達放出了A，就把A重複得太久才放B出來，然而這個B又不是太特別，所以又回到A。要不拋出C及D，否則砍掉三分一就差不多。
演奏方面，我覺得Morris拉得太淡，例如第一樂章要是她在揉弦及運弓都再加兩錢肉緊，感覺就會頗不一樣，此外樂章中段，她的音色和鋼琴太貼近，黑碰黑。作品是次級的，這演奏也未能把它提升。
The evergreen Franck sonata coupled with Benjamin Godard’s Cello Sonata from the same year. The Godard (tracks 5-7) was what attracted me so I went through it first before deciding to listen to the Franck or not.
The work is 30 minutes long with three movements. The first movement is mostly in a rocking 9/8 rhythm. It’s dark and moody and I appreciate its feel rather than its melodies. To me the 3-minute exposition was too long, I didn’t have much patience left after the first minute or two. With the repeat it’s already half a movement. The second movement is more peaceful and also more feel than melody.
The third movement is much quicker and transforms that 9/8 rocking rhythm into a bouncy 6/8, also incorporating the peacefulness of the second movement melody. In general the problem of this sonata is its length and the lack of material. Godard toyed with an idea, let’s call it A, for too long before tossing out a B, which isn’t too different to A, and he went back to A. Without C or D, the sonata wouldn’t have lost much if it was cut by a third.
As for the playing, I think Morris was being intentionally bland. If she would be more passionate in the vibrato and the bowing the whole thing would have sounded different. And her tone was too dark and close to the piano. A sub-par work which wasn’t helped by this rendition.