Barber, Rachmaninov: Cello Sonatas
Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello), Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano) (Decca)
(scroll down for English review)
因為疫情，Sheku Kanneh-Mason和姊姊和香港觀眾緣慳一面，唯有聽他的最新專輯。雖然也有人試過，但用巴伯《大提琴奏鳴曲》配拉赫曼尼諾夫《大提琴奏鳴曲》仍是少有，知名大提琴家應該沒人這樣錄過。Sheku更用大提琴演奏兩人的歌曲，置於兩首奏鳴曲之間，那就令此碟夠獨特。
巴伯的奏鳴曲（軌一至三）是他早期作品，一如他絕大部分作品，都是順耳、認真，但不算深刻，不過在Sheku演奏下，用十幾分鐘去聽也一點都不浪費時間。然而在詮釋上，我覺得他太在意去尋找「長句」，想將一個個短促的姿勢綑在一起，但這樣我就認為會令感情太呆。然後四首巴伯歌曲（軌四至七），我覺得只是舒服，未足以成為無言歌，一和拉赫曼尼諾夫那三首（軌八至十）聽就顯而易見。
至於拉赫曼尼諾夫的奏鳴曲（軌11至14），Sheku極為忠於樂譜的音量指示，這雖然令他免於誇張，但也是這個演奏，在我眼中是失敗的原因。pp、p、mf、f、ff，他把音量分得很平均，只會把大聲留給ff，pp及p都很輕聲。問題是這麼多pp及p，他都很細聲去奏，令全首奏鳴曲有太多平淡時刻，演奏者不懂得自己調節、以為可以依書直說，在拉赫曼尼諾夫是行不通的。到音量寫了f及ff，他又會出蠻力令音質很刺耳。鋼琴方面同樣執着於音量指示，經常阻住大提琴。
最後要說的是，音量指示從來不是分貝上的刻度，在不同作曲家手上，亦可以是感情、音色的提示。Sheku在我心目中，技術未算出眾，而在音樂的詮釋上，這碟令我頗為失望。
Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s coupling of the Barber and Rachmaninov cello sonatas has been tried before, but star soloists have never done that on disc. Following today’s trend Sheku played four Barber songs and three by Rachmaninov in between the sonatas.
Barber’s Cello Sonata (tracks 1-3) is his op.6 and like many of his works it is serious and pleasing, but not really profound or memorable. I welcome Sheku championing this work but his performance put too much attention on finding the long phrase, as I’m of the opinion that the short gestures need to be punctuated more. The four Barber songs (track 4-7) don’t really work without words, and it’s rather easy to see that when pitched against the three Rachmaninov songs (tracks 8-10).
As for the Rachmaninov sonata (tracks11-14), Sheku observed the dynamic marks diligently, but in my opinion that made his performance a bore. Sheku delegated the pp and p passages to the lower extremes of his dynamic levels, but those passages are too extensive and a seasoned performer understands dynamic levels are relative, not absolute. Sheku lacked the ability to produce an intense pianissimo but when he got to the single or double fortes his tone quality deteriorated drastically. Isata’s piano likewise follow the dynamic markings doggedly and often got in her brother’s way.