Ravel: La Valse, Alborada del gracioso, Rhapsodie espagnole, Une barque sur l’océan, Pavane, Bolero
Robert Trevino / Basque National Orchestra (Ondine)
(scroll down for English review)
Trevino手執兩隊樂隊，一隊是瑞典的馬爾默樂團，他們在Ondine品牌推出貝多芬交響曲全集後，現在輪到Trevino另一團，巴斯克國家管弦樂團在同一品牌推出拉威爾。這裏我無意糾結於拉威爾到底是法國還是巴斯克人這個問題，只聽音樂就夠。
我覺得今時今日的數碼錄音，始終會比模擬錄音捕捉到更多層次，哪管後者可能對一些人來說較為順耳或刺激。這張拉威爾在音響上是頗多細節聽，除了是在收音或混音層面做到細節和總體的自然融合，指揮也確實刻意給不同樂器較多空間去發揮獨奏，我甚至懷疑樂師是在指揮半推半就下，才這麼用心的去處理獨奏。
這張碟全部都是拉威爾的知名曲目，對已聽熟他作品的人來說，應該會感受到相當新意，不過聽音樂聽得較為被動一點的朋友，或會感到不耐煩。而我這樣說，是因為我覺得兩者都有，既有新意，也覺得太刻意。
兩首我最為滿意的有軌七《海洋一舟》，細節的離散與融合，我覺得不只是海洋，而是去到宇宙星宿的境界。軌八《悼念公主的孔雀舞曲》，小提琴（齊奏）的細緻發音，顯然是要和管樂對齊，是要指揮特意要求才能做得出來。
After offering a Beethoven symphony cycle with “his” Malmö Symphony, Trevino now brought out an all-Ravel disc with his other orchestra, the Basque National Orchestra. Some might like to argue that Ravel was Basque, not French, but I have no interest on such debates.
On the other hand I definitely prefer the digital recordings of today than the audiophile analogue recordings of the past. The engineers now are able to capture more details and nuances and these were the fortes of this disc. It was obvious to me that Trevino asked for detailed and dedicated solos and he got them. Though at times I felt that his players were somehow coerced to be “spontaneous”.
Listeners familiar to this repertoire are very likely to find some fresh insights. For those who are relatively new to Ravel might find the playing too laboured. To me it was both.
My favourite tracks on this disc are Une barque sur l’océan (track 7). The layers and colours blended and unblended themselves, giving me an impression that this wasn’t an ocean but a galaxy. The oft-played Pavane (track 8) also sounded very fresh to me, particularly the hushed and velvety tone of the violins that sing in tandem with the winds. Such playing wouldn’t be possible without the intervention of the conductor.