Smetana: Má Vlast
Václav Luks / Collegium 1704 (Prague Spring Music Festival YouTube)
(scroll down for English review)
這是2021年布拉格之春音樂節的開幕演出，容許少量觀眾在場的現場演奏。布拉格之春音樂節每年都在5月12日開幕，這天是史麥塔納的忌辰，而開幕演出就一定奏《我的祖國》，由不同的樂團（包括捷克或海外）及指揮領軍。
這刻歐洲即將但尚未解除封城，而今年的開幕樂隊比較特別，是由Václav Luks指揮Collegium 1704古樂團，見到年份就知道古了。Luks在古樂界的名氣早已衝出捷克，但好像還未去到全球，而且他也還未有以古樂、倣古或時代忠實奏法衝擊浪漫派曲目的名聲。
這次演奏和我們聽慣的管弦樂團，主要有兩點不同，一是木管，尤其是單簧管較尖，沒現在通用的樂器或奏法那樣圓潤，巴松管也有類似特質。更明顯的應該是弦樂，指揮在影片開頭的訪問說是全隊用羊腸線，他並指出捷克愛樂在20世紀初的錄音的弦樂就是用羊腸線。此外，也很易聽出揉弦是較少。（現在常用的琴線是鋼弦。）
羊腸線這一點，試聽最出名的第二樂章《摩道爾河》（25:33）就能體會分別，纖幼的地方較我們聽慣更浮，又好像留多了一點空間給木管穿透，璨爛處雖然不厚但也有一種甜味。另外第三樂章《薩爾卡》（38:43）及第五樂章《塔波亞》（1:05:00）又有另一種音質可以聽到，這個兩個樂章比較「武」，弦樂拉到激烈處會有多一分繃緊。
始終不是聽慣的音色，也有一些地方我覺得是音色有點醜，所以我都不打算推斷羊腸線是否較好、應否復興之類。不過更重要是知道樂器的些微差別，是會影響詮釋。而這個錄影的音質，我覺得還未去到商業錄音的水平，所以我相信存在失真。
This is the live recording of the opening concert of 2021 Prague Spring Music Festival, with its customary programme, Smetana’s Má Vlast. This year’s performing orchestra is Václav Luks’ Collegium 1704, a period ensemble obviously reinforced for this occasion.
There are two major differences in the orchestra sound: the woodwinds, especially the clarinet and the bassoon sounding a bit shriller. And Luks told the interviewer in the beginning of the video that they’d be using gut string, which was the practice of the Czech Philharmonic up to a certain point of 20th century.
You can easily hear this difference in the beloved The Moldau (25:33). In the softer passages the violins sounded more ethereal, and the texture was thinner which allowed more of the woodwinds to come through. In the climaxes the strings might sound weaker than we’re used to but that was compensated by an extra pinch of sweetness.
The more martial movements Sarka (38:43) and Tabor (1:05:00) revealed another layer of difference. I sense a higher degree of tension when the strings went full throttle.
Nevertheless it wasn’t a sound that I was used to in such repertoire. I couldn’t say if using gut strings are better or worse as there were some spots that I found ugly. But I can say for sure that interpretation is never constant and instruments are a varying factor. Still, this video’s audio quality is slightly below commercial standards so I might not be getting a faithful “picture” of the sound.