Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Symphonic Picture, Second Rhapsody, Cuban Overture
Cristina Ortiz (piano)
André Previn / London Symphony (Warner)
(scroll down for English review)
一向都沒有認真聽普烈文的蓋希文，當然知道他那張「羽毛碟」是「天碟」，那是一碟收齊《藍色幻想曲》、《一個美國人在巴黎》及《鋼琴協奏曲》，鋼琴獨奏由普烈文兼任，匹茲堡交響樂團演奏，1984年飛利浦數碼錄音。但一直EMI（現在由華納接管）都有再版他1971年和倫敦交響樂團的同曲模擬錄音。我今次介紹的本來是另一張EMI年代的蓋希文專輯，還是先談「羽毛碟」及同曲舊錄音。
或者在1980年代中期，市場上流通的「羽毛碟」的音質比EMI版本的CD優勝，但我現在經數碼平台聽到的，卻無疑是EMI較好。「羽毛碟」我有時感覺到匹茲堡較幼細的弦樂，部分管樂獨奏較有味道，但蓋希文這種音樂，其實也不用太精細的比較標準，哪個較爽、較響就聽哪個。所以我在回應欄貼出EMI版的連結，如果你還未認識《鋼琴協奏曲》，可趁此機會細味，我覺得這曲應該更多演奏。
言歸正傳，這張第二張蓋希文專輯收錄較冷門的作品，即使第一曲《波吉與貝斯：交響圖畫》（軌一）有好幾首蓋希文膾炙人口的旋律。顧名思議，這是蓋希文歌劇（不是音樂劇）《波吉與貝絲》的精華，17分鐘就可細分成11個段落，真是名符其實的medley串燒歌。為甚麼這套組曲很少聽到？我猜是因為配器中，要用上三支色士風，管弦樂團是不會聘請色士風長工，要一下子找三個人客串就太花錢了。
軌二《第二幻想曲》是蓋希文在《藍色狂想曲》幾年後，用他為一齣電影所作、描繪城市繁華的配樂改編而成，鋼琴同樣扮演重要的獨奏角色，這次不是普烈文彈而是當時年輕的Ortiz。始終珠玉在前，《第二幻想曲》難以匹敵前作的靈感泉湧。將材料串連起來的結構是很好的，不過材料本身不夠好就難以化腐朽為神奇。聽了兩次，發覺鋼琴部分應該較《藍色狂想曲》難，而中間的抒情旋律不俗。
軌三《古巴序曲》賣的是拉美風情，十分鐘大約是快慢快的結構，快的部分既有動感也有滑溜的旋律，更有趣的是慢的部分，其實材料和之前的相若，足見蓋希文運用材料的功力。雖是較次級的蓋希文，但你叫其他嚴肅作曲家去寫，想寫也寫不來。
This is the second disc of Previn’s LSO Gershwin recordings on EMI (now Warner), but before talking about it, I’d like to go through his classic Gershwin recordings of Rhapsody / Paris / Concerto. He actually made two such albums, one with LSO (EMI) and a digital remake with Pittsburgh Symphony (Philips). The latter one has long been lauded as audiophile so I’ve always wondered which one is actually better.
After giving the two a listen I’d say LSO is generally better but Pittsburgh has some finer strings and woodwinds. Perhaps in the early days of CD, Philips’ digital recording did sound better than EMI’s digital remastering of the analogue recordings. But right now at iTunes, LSO/Warner sounded better, and Gershwin isn’t such a refined taste. So I’m putting the YouTube link of that recording for your reference.
This other Gershwin album comprised of three less popular works. Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture (track 1) is a suite compiled by Robert Russell Bennett. With 11 sections in just 17 minutes, it is truly a medley with many of Gershwin’s immortal tunes. This suite could have been played more often, if not for its requiring three saxophones. As typical orchestras wouldn’t have a full-time saxophonist, enlisting three freelancers for a piece is too much of a luxury.
Second Rhapsody (track 2) is the follow-up to Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin took the music he composed for a film section depicting the New York cityscape and cast it into a concertante work. This time Previn didn’t take the solo part which was entrusted to the young Cristina Ortiz. I can hear the higher demands to the piano and Gershwin’s mastery of such free form, but the Rhapsody in Blue is simply a non plus ultra. I quite enjoyed the central lyrical section, though.
Exoticism is naturally what Cuban Overture (track 3) is selling. In fast-slow-fast form, the faster sections have a swingy beat and smooth melodies. The slow section sounds so different but its material isn’t much different from the preceding minutes. That’s ample proof of Gershwin’s composing skills. Serious composers might have considered this work cheap but they couldn’t write one even if they wanted to.