Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No.1 & 2
Frédéric Lodéon (cello), Daria Hovora (piano) (Erato)
Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No.1 & 2
Anne Queffélec, Pierre Amoyal (violin), Frédéric Lodéon (cello) (Erato)
(scroll down for English review)
以前沒聽過這位法國大提琴家盧迪安的名字，就是因為他今年七十大壽，法國華納推出了他的錄音全集盒裝，才對他有興趣。首先聽他兩張孟德爾遜錄音，先是兩首大提琴奏鳴曲，再聽兩首鋼琴三重奏。
孟德爾遜的兩首大提琴奏鳴曲很少機會聽到，集齊兩首的錄音可能只得十個左右，就因為有這套盧迪安盒裝可以認識到，實在太好。我覺得它們可以和布拉姆斯的大提琴奏鳴曲相比，不過孟德爾遜這兩首奏鳴曲，又確實沒有難忘旋律，而且鋼琴部分很難，就像孟德爾遜很多室樂作品一樣。但之所以令我喜愛，就正正是鋼琴寫得夠難，反而讓它和大提琴有極佳互動，把音樂驅動。這種作品，我覺得不只是音樂或者歌曲，而是像一場討論。兩曲之中，我比較喜歡《第一》（軌一至三），但《第二》（軌四至七）的旋律性會較強。
我起初對盧迪安的演奏不怎麼樣，但慢慢聽下去，開始欣賞他的純粹、不賣造作姿態。近年有些大提琴家太刻意去營造纖幼音色，我覺得是歪路，但盧迪安卻是做出纖幼而有勁。另外Daria Hovora火熱而從容不亂的鋼琴，簡直令孟德爾遜這兩首大提琴奏鳴曲，儼如法朗克的奏鳴曲般，鋼琴比小提琴或大提琴更難。
至於兩首鋼琴三重奏，就沒那麼冷門，較合主流口味，因為有很醒神的旋律、澎湃的感情。不過想聽盧迪安的話，他就比較安於為小提琴墊底。鋼琴則換上Anne Queffélec，和盧迪安一樣都是年青時候，不過論演奏確是Hovora較優，但整體來說，我十分欣賞三人的專注，令音樂不用多餘姿態便能傳達濃厚感情。
Frédéric Lodéon is a French cellist and conductor who turns 70 this year, Warner brought out this box set of his recordings with Erato or France EMI in the 1970s and 1980s. I chose two discs of Mendelssohn, the first being the two cello sonatas with Daria Hovora as his piano partner.
These sonatas are hardly touched by star cellists, and what a pity. I think these two Mendelssohn cello sonatas might best be compared with Brahms in their moods, but Mendelssohn, skillful as he always was, couldn’t come up with gorgeous melodies in these works. But the first reason that I got fascinated was that Mendelssohn gave such a hard time for the pianist, which might be likened to the Franck sonata when the pianist has to work harder than the violinist or cellist. The second reason is that the piano and the cello wouldn’t just repeat each other’s phrases, the give and take makes these sonatas more like discourses between the two.
Initially Lodéon’s playing struck me as a bit run-of-the-mill. But then I came to admire his directness. His tone is on the slim side but with more than enough power on all registers. I think the sonatas are a better example of his playing, in the trio disc with Amoyal and Queffélec, Lodéon was content for a supporting role to the violin so his presence is a bit hard to notice. Nevertheless the Mendelssohn piano trios have more significant melodies than the cello sonatas, and I also admire the concentration of the three players. That quality delivered ample emotions without resorting to tricks or antics.