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William Byrd & John Bull – Visionaries of Piano

Kit Armstrong (piano)  (DG)

(scroll down for English review)

周善祥在DG的第一張碟以「鋼琴的先見者」為碟題，將兩位英國文藝復興時代作曲家伯德及布林的鍵盤作品以鋼琴演奏，更不擔心份量太多，一來就兩張碟，兩小時多一點。他們身處伊莉沙伯一世的年代，離鋼琴發明還有百幾二百年，這樣去包裝，無非是讓這些通常由維金納琴演奏的作品，帶近一點我們的口味。

我覺得周善祥做得最對的，就是強調這些作品的平常，首先不去勉強用鋼琴模倣維金納琴或古鍵琴的音色，然後避免令這些作品披上神秘或怪異的面紗。我們只是去聽陌生的音樂，而不是奇怪的音樂。他不是要重現英國文藝復興時期的美學，而是遵從鋼琴演奏的美學，如何把音樂彈得動聽，怎樣帶出箇中的感情。

與其說這批作品大多數是變奏曲，倒不如說當時鍵盤音樂想作長一點，就很難不用到變奏曲式。這碟最重要的兩套變奏曲，大概就是布林及伯德各自寫的一套《和盛咸變奏曲》（軌15及30），布林那一套的聲部稍為繁複，變奏一路下去，音符愈彈愈短的刺激感甚大。伯德的取態較溫和，即使變奏都會愈來愈難，但難得較為自然，亦有更強的歌唱感，不過布林及伯德兩者各有千秋，難分高低。

其他我覺得不錯的變奏曲包括《少女之歌》（軌六）、《小丑》（軌14）及《鐘》（軌19）。喜歡聽慢板的，一定要試試多個孔雀舞曲，包括軌二、九、16、20、25。

話雖而此，我不相信兩個多小時的維珍納琴音樂，哪管用鋼琴彈得多麼自然，能令一般樂迷都非常享受。我還是贊成周善祥趁此機會一次過錄這麼多，聽得下去就能聽下去，毋須遷就低水平觀眾。況且，我相信這套錄音最能啟發的不是一般聽眾，而是今天或未來的鋼琴家，因為要鋼琴家去研習古鍵琴已經不大可能，倒不如向他們示範一下如何用鋼琴去彈。

On his DG debut Kit Armstrong delivered something that I’d never associate with the label: the virginal music of William Byrd and John Bull played on piano. The disc title “Visionaries of Piano” was obviously a ploy to tell potential listeners that these music wasn’t as foreign as it seemed.

To me that’s the best thing of this double-album. Armstrong didn’t try to imitate the sound of the virginal or the harpsichord, nor did he make any attempt to present this as hip music. Instead of replicating Elizabethan aesthetics he obeyed the aesthetics of good piano playing: producing pleasant sounds and projecting emotions.

It seemed oxymoronic to say that most pieces here were variations. Without sonata form composers back then couldn’t get far without resorting to variations. The most notable sets on this album were probably the two sets on Walsingham. Armstrong gave us Bull’s (track 15) and Byrd’s (track 30) take for us to compare. Bull’s set was more polyphonic and more pyrotechnic while Byrd was milder and more natural in his melodic lines. I won’t say which was the better composer, though.

I also enjoyed the variations on The Maiden’s Song (track 6), The Buffons (track 14) and the Bells (track 19). Adagio lovers should definitely try the Pavans (tracks 2, 9, 16, 20, 25).

Nevertheless I don’t think a casual listener could sit through 135 minutes of Byrd and　Bull, no matter how natural or pleasant Armstrong played them. Still I totally agree with Armstrong’s decision in presenting such a big chunk, as those willing to listen through would do so. You just can’t please everyone. But I think this album would benefit pianists more as it would be too much for them to take up the harpsichord. This recording gave an ample guide on how to play this worthy music on the piano.