Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No.1 & 2, Capriccio brilliant
Lars Vogt (piano and conductor) / Paris Chamber Orchestra (Ondine)
(scroll down for English review)
鋼琴家霍特現為巴黎室樂團的音樂總監，請他來領導樂團，無疑是看中他「彈指」的功用。於是霍特和此團的第一張唱片，就是孟德爾遜的兩首鋼琴協奏曲、另加《炫技隨想曲》。
兩首鋼琴協奏曲都比較少被知名獨奏家演奏或錄音，它們每首大約20分鐘，傳統的三樂章結構，但沒有照跟莫扎特或貝多芬的協奏曲格式，反而變得更為扼要，樂隊及獨奏綁得更緊。雖然沒有華彩段，但樂章各處都有只得鋼琴獨奏的段落，即是將華彩段融入了格式之中。
霍特採用較猛烈的琴音，其實就最適合一如孟德爾遜在鋼琴三重奏、大提琴奏鳴曲或者《嚴肅變奏曲》的炫技鋼琴，而且霍特的確可以將這種炫技，化成樂曲的能量，而不只是手指操，加上樂隊的緊密配合，正是「彈指」的最大好處。有心彈孟德爾遜的，未必遇上有心的指揮，反之亦然，實在不用等明星們去涉獵，現在就聽霍特的孟德爾遜吧。
In his first disc as the Music Director of the Paris Chamber Orchestra, Lars Vogt play-conducted three piano concertante works by Mendelssohn. Perhaps unjustly, these works don’t get much attention from star soloists or orchestral programmers. Mendelssohn didn’t follow the mould of Mozart or Beethoven’s piano concerti, instead he tightened it up, no cadenzas but bursts of solo passages throughout the movements. Pianistically the writing keeps the soloist busy without overtaxing his or her stamina.
I was surprised Vogt played his part with steel-fingered punchiness, which put Mendelssohn closer to Prokofiev’s First Piano Concerto than the Schumann concerto. Vogt’s fiery pianism was a part of the impetus of the music, which was echoed by the orchestra. The case for conducting from the keyboard can’t be put better. Forget about star soloists, just go for Vogt and be delighted by Mendelssohn’s piano concertos.