Saint-Saëns: Cello Sonata No.1
Franck: Cello Sonata
Short Pieces by Hahn, Fauré, Duparc, Holmès
Steven Isserlis (cello), Connie Shih (piano) (BIS)
最近重讀《追憶逝水年華》，伊瑟利斯這張「普魯斯特的沙龍音樂」來得正好。又是錄到滿的CD，可以分成兩部分來聽，首先從軌一聽到軌六，聽完聖桑《第一大提琴奏鳴曲》休息一下，然後從軌八（待會再說軌七）聽到尾，最後是法朗克《大提琴奏鳴曲》。
伊瑟利斯也有撰寫小冊子的樂曲介紹，詳細列出普魯斯特就這些樂曲留下的文字，甚至是他和某些作曲家的關係，例如軌一的Reynaldo Hahn是他的同性戀人。不過我目前《追憶逝水年華》看到三分二，這些音樂幾乎沒有出現在書上，一個原因是書中的沙龍的音樂主要是鋼琴或小提琴為主，另一個原因是普魯斯特較少在書中提到實質樂曲，最令主角刻骨銘心的樂曲是一首虛構樂曲，不過他也曾向一位小提琴家點唱要聽法朗克這首奏鳴曲。
這張專輯的選曲及演奏遠超我預期，或者真正原因是演奏太好，令我忘記某些樂曲（尤其是短曲）的不足。但我還是集中談聖桑及法朗克吧。早前談過Edgar Moreau演奏的同一首樂曲，當時我覺得他那個演奏是全張碟最平凡的。現在換伊瑟利斯拉，完全是另一種味道，我覺得伊瑟利斯厲害在不是扭來扭去的激情或者低水平觀眾一見人搖頭擺腦就說的「投入」，而是聚焦，所以不管是較弱的聲音、較慢的旋律，仍然有很強的表達力，所以一到強音及快速，就倍加強勁，又不會感到誇張。
至於法朗克，我覺得他是想盡量令平淡的句子綻放出最濃烈的感情，即使我對此曲的口味是偏愛較淡薄幽怨，但他這種構思也實行得很好，所以我也十分受落。談了多張較一般的大提琴唱片，終於有一張真心覺得值得聽了。
（先前沒說的軌七，其實就是聖桑奏鳴曲中原本的終曲，聖桑母親不滿意這個版本，所以叫他重寫。我這次第一次聽，樂曲性質和最終版相若，不過確實偏長，最終版精闢不少，也加多了幾錢肉緊，所以不聽原版也沒損失。）
I’ve been rereading In Search of Lost Time recently, so this album of “Music from Proust’s Salon” came at the right time. Once again this is a full CD and I suggest you listen to it in two halves, the first half (tracks 1 to 6) ending with Saint-Saëns’ First Cello Sonata, the second half starting from track 8 and finishing with the Franck sonata. I’ll tell you later about track 7.
Isserlis wrote the booklet notes in which Proust’s comments on these pieces were collected. Proust also had personal relationships with some of the composers, for instance Reynaldo Hahn, a long-time lover. But two-thirds into In Search of Lost Time I don’t see much of the music selected for the disc. The main reason is that the salons that the protagonist frequents usually feature piano and/or violin playing. Another reason being that the most important piece of the book is a fictitious piece. Nevertheless, the protagonist once asks a violinist to play him the Franck sonata.
Isserlis’ programming and playing were much better than I expected. Or shall I say the exceptional playing made up for the shorter, but lesser pieces? In the Saint-Saëns sonata Isserlis found the right balance between the tumultuous piano part and the calmer cello part, something Moreau failed to do in his recent recording. Isserlis’ prowess wasn’t unbridled passion but the utmost intensity. Therefore softer passages sounded poignant while the agitated passages were even more powerful.
For the Franck sonata, Isserlis’ approach was to deliver maximum emotions even in the mildest passages. Although in Franck I prefer violinists or cellists to leave thing unsaid, Isserlis’ execution worked so I accepted such approach. After several not so brilliant cello discs I finally found one wroth recommending.
Track 7 is the original, much longer version of the Finale of the Saint-Saëns sonata. The composer’s mother made his son rewrite it, thus the final version on track 6. The overall character of the original version isn’t much different from the final version, but the original is obviously too long. The final version is tighter and more intense.