Hindemith: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Althorn Sonatas
Les Vents Français: Emmanuel Pahud (flute), François Leleux (oboe), Paul Meyer (clarinet), Gilbert Audin (bassoon), Radovan Vlatković (althorn) (Warner)
(scroll down for English review)
亨特密特可能是學習管樂的人間中遇到的作曲家，因為他有意識地為所有管樂器寫奏鳴曲。顧爾德曾經灌錄過他全部銅管奏鳴曲（顧爾德負責鋼琴），而「法國之風」這張則是木管的奏鳴曲。即使其中一首是圓號家族的中音號，但圓號有時會被視為木管，有時銅管，所以也毋須太糾結。
「法國之風」的明星陣容就是我嘗試並專心聽這碟的主因，但還是遺憾地說，這批作品我都不怎麼樣。沒有人能說亨特密特「不懂」作曲，他很懂作曲，亦很會教人作曲，但對我這個不懂作曲的人來說，亨特密特就是太會作曲，所以他有條件為作而作，交功課那樣完成要為所有管樂器作奏鳴曲的使命。我武斷地說，這批作品有「心情」（mood）而無「感情」（emotion），作曲的技術層面上當然是合格有餘，我不會說是差劣或不足，但更糟糕的是令我覺得很無謂。
Hindemith might be one composer that advanced learners of wind instruments run into a lot. In the 1930s Hindemith set out to write sonatas for all orchestral wind instruments. Glenn Gould made a recording of all the brass sonatas, while this latest album by Les Vents Français focused on the woodwind sonatas.
The all-star Les Vents Français were precisely the reason I took the time for an attentive listening. Sorry to say I didn’t enjoy these pieces at all. No one could accuse Hindemith of not knowing how to compose. Yet to me who don’t know how to compose, Hindemith’s problem was precisely that he knew too well how to compose. Therefore he was in a position to churn out these pieces to complete his self-appointed mission. Of course the composing technique was all there, but these are pieces with precise moods but devoid of emotions. I’m in no position to say these are bad pieces but they all sounded so futile to me.