Bizet: Chants du Rhin, Chromatic Variations, Venise, Minuet from L’Arlésienne
Saint-Saëns (arr. Bizet): Piano Concerto No.2
Nathanaël Gouin (piano) (Mirare)
(scroll down for English review)
大碟名為「無詞的比才」，並非《卡門》改編給鋼琴獨奏，而是比才的鋼琴作品。他的《半音階變奏曲》，顧爾德灌錄過並大力推介，本碟也有收錄此曲。《半音階變奏曲》是首炫技作品，十六個變奏爽快俐落，不過Gouin的演奏比較一板一眼，看來是被作品的難度綁手綁腳。
開碟的樂曲叫做《萊茵河之歌》，六個樂章都有標題：日出、出發、夢、吉卜賽女郎、信心、回歸。雖是鋼琴獨奏，但比才是依照一首詩來作曲，對應詩篇寫一次萊茵河旅程。六個樂章中，單數是輕柔，雙數是活力，我比較喜歡單數那些。雖然你不會找到《卡門》那種美妙旋律，但《萊茵河之歌》仍把比才的旋律天份表露無遺，旋律很簡潔，但鋼琴的寫法仍有充足質感。比才英年早逝，除了帶走一名歌劇作曲家，也帶走一位很懂得為鋼琴創作的人才。
這碟收錄了兩首改編比才悅耳旋律的作品，軌七是Gouin自己改編《採珠者》男高音詠嘆調「我好像還聽到她的聲音」，Gouin這個改編我覺得很符合比才的「簡潔旋律配花巧伴奏」的寫法。
最後三軌不是比才原創作品，而是他把聖桑《第二鋼琴協奏曲》改編成鋼琴獨奏，就如鋼琴自彈自伴奏、「沒有樂隊的協奏曲」。改編沒我想像中難（我的比較對像是Alkan改編貝多芬及蕭邦的協奏曲），不過演奏就不合我意，並不是Gouin彈不齊音符，而是沒了樂隊，他就好像沒有推動力那樣，非但不是「一部鋼琴等於一個樂隊」，反而連獨奏的神采也彈不出來。
“Bizet Without Words” is the disc title but there is no Carmen on the disc. What we’re getting is Bizet the piano composer. Among the pieces is the Chromatic Variations, a piece recorded and much lauded by Glenn Gould. The 16 virtuosic variations are swift and direct but I feel Gouin’s playing is a bit strait-jacketed by the technical demands.
The 6-movement opener is called Songs of the Rhine, the pieces all carry titles: Dawn, Departure, Dreams, Gypsy Girl, Confidences, Return. They correspond to the six sections of a poem which depict a Rhine trip. The odd-numbered pieces are soft and suave, the even-numbered ones are lively and energetic and I prefer the soft and suave. Although the timeless melodies of Carmen are not to be found here, one can still sense Bizet’s melodic gift. The tunes are simple but backed up by skillful accompaniment writing. His early death not only robbed music lovers of a genius opera composer but also a gifted piano composer.
Two tracks are arrangements of Bizet’s better known melodies. Gouin did his own arrangement of Nadir’s aria in The Pearl Fishers, “Je crois entendre encore”. Gouin’s arrangement is truly idiomatic as he laid the melancholic melody on top of complex figurations.
The last three tracks aren’t Bizet originals but his arrangement of Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No.2, for solo piano. It is surely a “concerto without orchestra” but Bizet surely didn’t overburden the pianist. But Gouin’s playing isn’t up to my taste. The notes are all there but he seemed to need the orchestra’s impetus badly. The piano didn’t just replace the orchestra but the solo part is also found to be wanting.