Brahms: Viola Sonatas, Two Songs, op.91
Antoine Tamesit (viola), Cédric Tiberghien (piano), Matthias Goerne (baritone) (Harmonia Mundi)
VS
Brahms: Viola Sonatas, Viola Trio
Miguel da Silva (viola), François Frédéric-Guy (piano), Xavier Phillips (cello) (Alpha)
(scroll down for English review)
兩個月內出了兩套布拉姆斯中提琴奏鳴曲集，都是法國中提琴家在法國品牌推出，不過兩首奏鳴曲以外的配搭並不相同。Da Silva那張配的是作品114的三重奏，正如兩首中提琴奏鳴曲本來是寫給單簧管，這首三重奏也一樣（其餘兩樣樂器是鋼琴及大提琴），不過這首樂曲由中提琴演奏的頻率，遠遠不及那兩首奏鳴曲，應該就是因為中提琴會和大提琴的音色太過接近。
我其實就是先聽了Da Silva這張才回頭去聽Tamestit。Da Silva正是用三重奏開碟，我本來也以為他會和Phillips的大提琴相撞，但細聽才發覺一來布拉姆斯的寫法已一早安排好中提琴會在較高的音域，而且中提琴及大提琴有又不會有太過重疊的地方。實質演奏上，Da Silva可能會令某些朋友覺得較像小提琴，於是也就正好達致平衡的音色。
不過中提琴奏鳴曲中，Da Silva就令我覺得有所或缺，強音部分他有頗開揚的聲音，但一去到較柔的地方我就覺得很呆。於是我便回去重聽Tamestit，也就見到明星獨奏家以及可靠室樂搭檔之間的分野。表面上Tamestit的琴音沒那麼順耳，但他能善用一個音的表達力，一句裏面的不同音符不會絕對平均地拉出來，亦做得出像管樂或聲樂那種呼吸。
所以Tamestit那張可以整張欣賞，聽完後也要聽Da Silva的作品114三重奏，連結我放在回覆欄。
There have been two releases of Brahms’ Viola Sonatas within a month, both were played by French violists and released on French labels. But the remaining items weren’t the same. Miguel da Silva opened his disc with the op.114 trio, which was also originally written for the clarinet. But violists don’t play this trio as often they play the op.120 sonatas. Perhaps they find it hard to distinguish themselves from the cello in that trio.
But after listening to da Silva’s rendition closely, I can see Brahms had already set the viola on a noticeably higher range than the cello, and the two instruments don’t really play too often together. And da Silva’s tone sounded like the violin at times so you would encounter a tonal balance like a usual piano trio.
Yet da Silva was lacking something in the sonatas. In fact I listened to Tamestit’s album first, then to da Silva’s, then back to Tamestit. And that’s when I could tell the difference between a star soloist and a very capable chamber partner. Apparently Tamestit had a coarser tone but he was more expressive, even in passages, or even in just one note. In Tamestit’s phrases notes wouldn’t just come out in perfect order but more akin to the phrasings of a singer or a winds player.
So Tamestit’s album should be listened in full, then you could go to da Silva’s op.114 trio, you’d find the link in the comment section.