Liszt: Harmonies poétiques et religieuses
Saskia Giorgini (piano) (Pentatone)
(scroll down for English review)
近年成為博斯捷伴奏者的意大利鋼琴家佐珍妮，終於再出獨奏唱片，是李斯特《詩意與宗教的和諧》全集。這套有十個樂章但可獨立演奏的作品，最出名的是《葬禮》（軌七）及《孤獨時受主祝福》（軌三）。雖然最出名的鋼琴家很少會碰這兩首以外的，但全集錄音並不算罕有，所以還是兩個老問題：其餘的八首值得聽嗎？而那兩首彈成怎樣？
好幾首開宗明義是用聖詠作題材，對基督教沒有興趣的朋友可能會卻步，但這次再聽這個全集，覺得用「愛與死」這個李斯特典型主題，已足夠概括這套作品，只不過不是其他李斯特作品的魔性、肉欲，而是從宗教，甚至革命情懷（《葬禮》就是悼念在1848年造反失敗的匈牙利人），去帶出對愛及死的渴求及恐懼，甚至是將它們克服。
佐珍妮的演奏，我覺得是在較不知名及較小型的樂章更有感染力，例如《聖母頌》（軌二）、《慈悲經》（軌八）及《愛之頌歌》（軌十），因為它們就是不算大情大性。大曲如《葬禮》及《孤獨時受主祝福》，我認為她未能彈出箇中的宏大氣魄，反為有時靠拖慢去彌補。此外就是樂器，我一直懷疑是不是一部Fazioli，因為總是覺得力量不夠，琴音又不算特別精緻，聽完看小冊子，原來是部Bösendorfer。
Saskia Giorgini has been appearing on the world’s many illustrious stages as Ian Bostridge’s accompanist. She finally made another solo album with this complete set of Liszt’s Harmonies poétiques et religieuses. Great pianists tended to stick with Funérailles, some might have Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude in their repertoire, but complete recordings aren’t really hard to come by.
So are the other eight worth listening? I’d say yes after listening to Giorgini’s set. One doesn’t really need a religious mindset to approach this work; the typical Lisztian themes of love and death more than suffice. It was precisely the shorter works on this recording that I most enjoyed: Ave Maria (track 2), Miserere (track 8), Cantique d’amour (track 10). But for the two big pieces, or even the Pensée des morts (track 4) Giorgini lacked the heft to make them an overwhelming experience.
The instrument might be accountable. I thought it was a Fazioli because of the underpowered bass and the not-really-delightful treble. After finishing listening I looked at the booklet: it was a Bösendorfer.