Bruckner: Symphonies No.2 & 8
Andris Nelsons / Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig (DG)
(scroll down for English review)
尼爾遜斯和萊比鍚的布魯克納全集，出到這張二及八，幾乎完成，剩餘的一及五大概都會用雙碟的形式推出。我之前沒有認真聽過其餘集數，但不表示我未見識過這批演奏。
我將這張二及八聽了兩次都想不到有甚麼好說，聽第三次前，我決定跟着錄音日期的順序從頭聽，因為最先灌錄的《第三》，我是在萊比鍚現場聽過，另外也在2018年12月聽過《第六》，2019年8月在薩爾茲堡聽過《第八》，大約是這個錄音前一個星期。
16/17也是沙伊在萊比鍚的最後一季，2016年6月，是尼爾遜斯被挑選為下任音樂總監後，他在萊比鍚的第一批音樂會。我聽過這個《第三》的現場演出，喜出望外，因為有很多細緻的演奏，並非單純以重量弦樂及銅管帶動，好些木管獨奏，或者各別弦樂的輕柔演奏，令我覺得有點像法國音樂的細膩。五年後聽回這個錄音，回憶也回來了，不過之後就是下坡。
16/17樂季是兩屆音樂總監的真空期，當季指得最多的是Blomstedt，也帶了他們作歐洲及亞洲巡迴。尼爾遜斯這個《第四》，是在那個樂季尾段指揮的，我覺得是比較大路的演奏，《第三》的細膩已不復在，陽剛味較重。至於在2018年3月的《第七》，尼爾遜斯已經坐正領導位置，這個演奏很明確的以小提琴作主導，旋律奏得很飽滿，延綿不斷，即使不是我所期望的，但都值得我花時間去聽。
至於2018年12月的《第六》及《第九》，就真的是這套全集的谷底，《第六》那場，就如唱片一樣，先奏華格納《齊格菲牧歌》，中場休息後奏《第六》，所以也不能說樂隊熱身不足，這個錄音也像我當時印象一樣，樂隊聲響不大成形，第二樂章（慢板）我雖然覺得指揮的構想不錯，但執行確實未如理想。兩個禮拜後的《第九》（期間我也在柏林聽了尼爾遜斯指馬勒《復活》），速度之快是和這套錄音一直以來的速度不一致，但這不是問題，問題是重點只在乎高潮及強音，其餘部分如非奏得這麼快，就會是真的冷場。
接着是這套碟的《第八》（軌六至九），的確是一洗頹風，第一樂章已聽到輕柔樂句很用心去演奏，而猛烈的地方也有充裕力量。第三樂章（慢板）我最欣賞中段從最弱音攀升至最強音，很是懾人，第四樂章尼爾遜斯也願意讓柔和段落如歌輕訴，不會趕着到最尾。最後是第二（軌二至五），單從樂曲那應該是接近我最喜歡的《第三》，雖也不復舊觀，但還很有一些細膩段落讓我回味，只是我覺得有點作狀，想聽精神的演奏也可以專注於第三及四樂章。
目前為止，這套全集仍是言之有物，不過因為我先入為主，這套錄音對我來說，除了是印證了尼爾遜斯在萊比鍚塑造了自己的聲音，他也摧殘了舊有味道。其餘集數的連結我放在最底。
Nelsons’ Leipzig Bruckner cycle is almost complete with this double issue of the Second and Eighth Symphonies. Most probably the First and Fifth would also be released in a double issue to complete the cycle. I went through this issue twice but didn’t really know what to say, so before my third attempt I went back and listened to the series in the order when they were recorded.
Actually I heard three of these symphonies live, Third, which was the first one to be recorded, and the Sixth in Leipzig, and most recently the Eighth at Salzburg Festival 2019, maybe a week before this recording was made in Leipzig.
The Third amazed me. I never thought the solos in a Bruckner symphony could be played with such French finesse. This recording confirmed my fond memories. The Fourth was recorded during the inter-regnum 16/17 season after Chailly had left and Blomstedt was the acting MD before Nelsons took over in 17/18. This performance of the Fourth had none of the finesse of the Third, it was quite masculine, therefore very traditional.
The Seventh was recorded after Nelsons officially took over. This was a violin-driven performance, the melodic lines were played with robust sound and unending legatos. That wasn’t an approach that I entirely agreed but still quite enjoyable.
With the Sixth and the Ninth, made in December 2018, Nelsons and the Leipzigers hit rock bottom. The orchestra lacked a cohesive sound in the Sixth, despite a profoundly conceived Adagio on Nelsons’ part, the orchestra failed in its execution. The quick tempi of the Ninth was somehow inconsistent with this cycle. The momentum was exciting but I felt the reliance on big volume and loud climaxes was a cheap approach.
So this Eighth was a return to form, right from the start there were heartfelt playing during the gentler moments and the fortes and climaxes were energetic and robust. What I love about the Adagio was the point where a lengthy crescendo in which the strings brought the volume from the softest whisper to a heartbreaking outburst. In terms of the work itself, The Second should have been closest to the delicate Third that I liked best. Some passages were delicately played indeed but somehow it sounded a bit contrived than the more natural sounding Third.
Nevertheless, this is a Bruckner cycle that showed the varying standards of the start of an important partnership so this is hardly a superfluous cycle. The links to the other issues are below.