Mendelssohn: Complete String Quartets
Melos Quartett (DG)
(scroll down for English review)
本來想聽某隊著名德國弦樂四重奏演奏的孟德爾遜新碟，但由於演奏及錄音質素俱欠佳，聽了一個樂章便停，也打消了聽之前集數的想法，改為聽這套美洛斯四重奏在DG灌錄的全集。美洛斯四重奏應該是經歷過黑膠時代或早期CD年代的朋友才較有印象的名字，他們在七八十年代是DG藝人，在DG也錄了貝多芬、舒伯特、舒曼、布拉姆斯，甚至更冷門的Cherubini的弦樂四重奏全集。聽不夠一分鐘就決定專心聽完，來認識一下我陌生的孟德爾遜弦樂四重奏。
以前只在現場聽過《第二》，它應該也是孟德爾遜六首（有編號）弦樂四重奏中最常奏的一首，其餘少人問津。這套錄音除了這六首，還收錄了一首早期的四重奏，以及在他死後，出版商將四個無關連樂章結集而成的《四首弦樂四重奏小品》。美洛斯四重奏在第一樂章都不拉提示部重覆（如果有），原因可能是省略了，才能把每首四重奏都用一面黑膠裝得下。
省略了，我又不是可惜，因為要找尋遺珠通常很難，從不朽作曲家中找就更難。《第二》（軌13至16）毋庸置疑是最出色的一首，躁動的氣氛，少有冷場，又見到貝多芬後期四重奏的手影，只是孟德爾遜有自己的方向，不走偏鋒。接着的《第三》（軌21至24）我覺得也是可觀之作，孟德爾遜除了證明到自己已徹底掌握到弦樂四重奏這種形式，也毋須再用一些破格的怪招。
然而孟德爾遜的弦樂四重奏的聲名遠不及舒伯特，是絕對有道理，因為我發覺孟德爾遜對形式掌握得愈好，創意及感情也就愈弱，我往往覺得四重奏對他來說就只不過是賦格，他可以縝密地編織四支樂器，音樂一直在動，第四樂章就例牌的急速（就如《意大利交響曲》），但就令我感覺空洞。
但《第六》（軌九至12）令我改觀，不只是因為其躁動氣氛更勝《第二》，而是他在頭兩個樂章都掌握着一個和節奏有關的動機，猶如樂章的錨，而這兩個動機又真的獨特。聽完看資料才知，此曲是寫在他的姐姐芬妮逝世之後，難怪有這麼強烈而真摯的情緒，他完成作品後兩個月，自己都中風去世了。
《第六》在他死後出版，給冠上作品編號80。作品81則是《四首弦樂四重奏小品》（軌29至32），這套作品也值得聽，因為本身不是一首四重奏，於是每首小品的特色較強，最後一個樂章是首古風的賦格，既令人想起後期貝多芬，用來當成孟德爾遜的安魂曲也無不可。
A well-known German quartet just released the third volume of a projected cycle of Mendelssohn string quartets. But I gave it up after just one movement, because of the inferior playing and sonics. Then I turned to this DG cycle by Melos Quartett, who also recorded cycles of Beethoven, Schubert, Cherubini, Schumann and Brahms for the label during the later LP and early CD eras. Apart from the six numbered quartets this set also included the juvenile E-flat major quartet and the Four Pieces for String Quartet, op.81 grouped and published posthumously.
I was utterly unfamiliar with the Mendelssohn string quartets as the Second was the only one that I ever heard live. The other five were rarely played or recorded. For an immortal composer like Mendelssohn, works that are forgotten are usually justifiably so. No question about it, the Second (track 13-16) is really the outstanding work with its restlessness and hints of late Beethoven. But Mendelssohn chose his own path rather than followed a giant. The subsequent Third Quartet (tracks 21-24) is also an enjoyable work, as Mendelssohn demonstrated his mastery of the form without resorting to extreme emotions and gimmicks as in the Second Quartet.
But I wasn’t impressed by the Fourth and Fifth Quartets. I found Mendelssohn had become formulaic: the perfection of form came at the cost of innovation and sincerity. Also Mendelssohn might have treated the string quartet as a fugal device. The four instruments were woven tightly as an unstoppable vehicle but the results were often hollow. The fourth movements were usually written as a breathless presto so typical of the Italian Symphony.
But the Sixth Quartet (tracks 9-12) was another matter. Its restlessness surpassed the Second Quartet, and the first and second movements were each marked by a memorable rhythmic motive that served as an anchor. I then found out the Sixth Quartet was written after Fanny Mendelssohn’s death, which accounted for its deep and sincere sentiments. Two months after the work’s completion Mendelssohn died after multiple strokes.
The Sixth Quartet was published posthumously as op.80, and Four Pieces for String Quartet (tracks 29-32) as op.81. This set of four unrelated pieces also deserved attention precisely because they were unrelated; therefore they each had their distinct character. The last piece is an archaic fugue, which not only reminded me of late Beethoven, but it served equally well as a dirge for its composer.