Beethoven: String Quartet op.130, Grand Fugue
Ehnes Quartet (Onyx)
(scroll down for English review)
恩尼斯除了獨奏活動，也有自組弦樂四重奏，現今許多明星小提琴家也有這麼做。這張貝多芬作品130連《大賦格》是恩尼斯四重奏去年疫情期間所錄，當時應該是在兩星期內錄完全部貝多芬後期四重奏，英國監製要在網上遙控錄音。此外，我相信恩尼斯四重奏應該要一段日子才會再活動，因為中提琴手Richard O’Neill去加入了塔克斯四重奏。
系列頭炮令人期待其餘集數，這錄音最大賣點我覺得是恩尼斯負責的第一小提琴部分，發音的優美實在是一般弦樂四重奏所不能及，而其餘三人也大致能在準繩及發音上緊貼恩尼斯，我尤其喜歡大提琴Edward Arron厚實而清晣的聲音。不過，這隊四重奏令我有點不是味兒，就是他們恍似恩尼斯意志的延伸，四支樂器都像是恩尼斯演奏那般。
Aside from his busy solo schedule James Ehnes also formed his own string quartet. This issue is the first in a series of Beethoven late quartets recorded last year during the pandemic lockdown. Their British producer had to monitor the two-week sessions remotely online. And I suppose this quartet would take some time to resume activity as their violist Richard O’Neill is now a full member of the Takacs Quartet.
This op.130 plus Grand Fugue release made me look forward to the rest of the series. The main attraction is James Ehnes’ playing as first violin, you can’t really find such superb and charming playing from other quartets. The other three teammates are able to match Ehnes’ tone and precision; cellist Edward Arron’s solid and articulate tone required a special mention. But this quartet left a bitter taste in my mouth because I got the impression that this is really Ehnes’ quartet: it is as if he played all four instruments.