Brahms: Symphony No.3, Serenade No.2
Iván Fischer / Budapest Festival Orchestra (Channel Classics)
(scroll down for English review)
錄了十年有多，伊凡費沙終於錄完布拉姆斯交響曲，以《第三》作壓軸，配上《第二小夜曲》。我本來想聽完費沙的前三張布拉姆斯才作評論，但聽了這張還是作罷，無非是唱片太多，時間太少。因為以詮釋來說，費沙未算特別標青破格，但其強項還是在塑造管弦聲響。
這個《第三》（軌一至四）演奏，精彩之處主要是在每個樂章的高潮，因為費沙往往留有一手，在高潮時刻才把管弦色彩或力量盡力展現，而且是一早不會讓人知道他在留力。第一樂章結尾的管樂特別厚實，第二樂章高潮的弦樂既甜又有穿透力。只是終曲的魄力太弱，或者就是我放棄聽全集的原因。
軌五至九的《第二小夜曲》遠較《第一小夜曲》少人演奏，不過在現今世代兩首都少人奏了，可能是觀眾較想聽情感豐富的交響曲吧。這首作品沒有小提琴及銅管，由木管主導，這團的木管極為出色，連奏優美，頓奏準繩。其實這是美妙的音樂，真的不用時時聽激昂的音樂。
Iván Fischer finally completed his Brahms cycle with this release of the Third. I was going to listen to the whole cycle before committing my thoughts but decided not to. My reason is that Fischer’s interpretation wasn’t that special to me but I surely appreciated his superb shaping of the orchestral sound.
What truly stood out in this performance of the Third Symphony (tracks 1-4) was Fischer’s unleashing of the full orchestral palette and power in the climaxes of each movement. Yet that was totally unexpected, as you wouldn’t sense he was holding back. The full wind sound at the end of the first movement was immense, and the strings in the second movement climax were so sweet and penetrating. But the finale lacked drive so perhaps that put me off from the whole cycle.
The Second Serenade (tracks 5-9) is less played than the Firs Serenade. Indeed both serenades don’t get to be played as often in our times. I guess the audience prefer symphonies nowadays. As this serenade was scored without violins and brasses so the woodwinds were having their field day. And how wonderful were the Budapest woodwinds. The legatos were graceful, the staccatos precise. This is such soothing music; you really don’t have to listen passionate music all the time.