Salonen: Cello Concerto
Yo-Yo Ma (cello)
Esa-Pekka Salonen / Los Angeles Philharmonic (Sony)
(scroll down for English review)
前年推出的錄音，沙朗倫為馬友友寫的《大提琴協奏曲》，由作曲家親自指揮。我覺得此曲是沙朗倫複雜音響世界，以及馬友友太過浮淺的「絲路計劃」委約作品的中間點。對獨奏的技術要求比沙朗倫的《小提琴協奏曲》低，但重要是此曲的意象頗易掌握，所以值得介紹。
三個樂章共35分鐘（雖然樂譜寫30分鐘），它們大約相等於中板、慢板、快板。頭兩個樂章令我有「仙境」的感覺，像是熱帶雨林帶點霧氣、有鳥鳴蟲叫那個畫面。第一樂章是這個雨林（只是我的詮釋）的生動情景，第二樂章則是寧靜。沙朗倫用上looping的技巧，要用一位音響技師將大提琴一些短句錄下，再在音樂廳不同位置的揚聲器播出，和「真人」演奏混合。在家應不能聽到最佳效果，但模擬鳥鳴的企圖應能意會。
第三樂章屬於炫技性質，大提琴以外最重要的樂器是邦哥鼓及康加鼓，大提琴和鼓以節奏對答，並在此之上奏出快速的旋律及躍動。沙朗倫將敲擊元素控制得很小心，不會讓它過熱及壓倒大提琴，雖然這樂章還是要現場看着才真正領會到它的能量。
A release from a while back, Yo-Yo Ma plays Salonen’s new Cello Concerto, conducted by the composer. I think this is on middle ground between Salonen’s complex sonic world and Ma’s rather superficial Silk Road Project commissions. The technical demands seem to be lighter than Salonen’s Violin Concerto, but I think it’s worth reviewing because the musical imagery isn’t hard to perceive.
In three movements clocking in at 35 minutes (30 minutes on the score), they correspond to a Moderato, Adagio and Allegro. The first two movements sound “fairy land” to me, I’d go on to interpret it as a rain forest. The first movement is lively while the second movement is sleepy or meditative. In that same second movement a sound engineer has to record snippets played by the solo cello, then project it back to the concert hall in surround sound. That effect can hardly be enjoyed at home, but the intention to simulate bird calls isn’t hard to get.
The third movement is highly virtuosic, with a prominent role given to bongo and conga. Their drumming sets a duo with the solo cello, first rhythmically, then the cello plays melodic phrases on those rhythms. Salonen is very carefully in not letting the drumming get too heated, but still, the fiery energy has to be experienced in concert.