Schubert: Symphony No.4 & 5
René Jacobs / B’Rock Orchestra (Pentatone)
(scroll down for English review)
雅各斯和比利時B’Rock古樂團的舒伯特交響曲全集出到第三集，用《第四》「悲劇」配稍高人氣的《第五》，都是在歐洲出現疫情前灌錄，不過《第四》在比利時錄，《第五》在奧地利錄，監製及主錄音師一樣。雖然我相信當代的錄音技術，把場地的影響減低不少，但兩個演奏的分別，令我不得不往場地方向想。
因為《第四》（軌一至四）的聲音明顯較乾，《第五》（軌五至八）的音質又響又潤。《第四》就是會令你覺得：「古樂團就是這樣的嘛」，但《第五》卻會是「想不到古樂團可以這麼好聽」。要是不向這方面想，從樂曲本身解釋，可能就是《第四》有大量弦樂的顫音（tremolo），同一個音重覆演奏來營造緊張感，但這種寫法可能對原音弦樂器不利，而《第五》的旋律瀟灑得多。不過想到這裏，我較傾向場地的解釋。
不像上兩集（收錄一、二、三、六）我覺得雅各斯這次的詮釋新意較低，我最關心的慢板節奏問題，由於《第四》那個（軌二）比較顯淺，毋須多費腦汁，而《第五》那個（軌六）雅各斯就用中庸的兩拍去奏6/8拍子，但完全不會感覺匆忙。而且《第五》的演奏也較《第四》熱血，雖然說只聽《第五》也值得，但我其實更為重視《第四》，可惜。現在雅各斯錄齊一至六，就只剩《未完成》及《偉大》兩首鉅作了。
René Jacobs’ Schubert cycle is now on its third issue, with the Fourth (“Tragic”) and the Fifth Symphonies. Both works were recorded before covid struck Europe but the Fourth was recorded in Belgium, the Fifth in Innsbruck, Austria. The producer and balance engineer was the same person in both recordings. Although modern recording technology has reduced the discrepancies of recording venues but the rather different performances on this disc might be best explained by the different locations.
The Fourth (tracks 1-4) was noticeably drier than the Fifth (tracks 5-8), which was quite vivid and acoustically warm. The Fourth is precisely the type of recording that makes you think: “No wonder, this is a HIP band playing.” But the Fifth is the opposite: “I can’t believe this is a HIP band!”
For argument’s sake the writing might have something to do with it. Schubert used quite a lot of string tremolos that might sound drier on gut strings and HIP bowings than on modern instruments. On the other hand the Fifth is more melody-driven. Having raised an alternative hypothesis I think I’ll stick with the venue theory.
Unlike the previous volumes (including No.1, 2, 3, 6) Jacobs had next to no surprise in this volume. Previously Jacobs offered more memorable readings in the adagios, but the one from the Fourth (track 2) is quite straightforward in itself. As for the one from the Fifth (track 6) Jacobs played the 6/8 rhythm in a walking two, it sounded right without any sense of rush. All in all, the Fifth benefited from a passionate reading, which should have been applied to the Fourth, what a pity. The remaining symphonies would be the Unfinished and the Great.