Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Ives: Symphony No.3
Barber: The School of Scandal – Overture; Toccata Festiva (Paul Jacobs, organ)
Crawford: Andante for Strings
James Gaffigan / Lucerne Symphony (Harmonia Mundi)
(scroll down for English review)
這隊琉森交響樂團，並非琉森音樂節期間那隊，而是常設的樂團，他們在美國指揮James Gaffigan領導下錄了這張全美國專輯，Gaffigan出任他們的音樂總監十年，今季是最後。這碟是在著名的琉森KKL音樂廳錄製。
除了伯恩斯坦《夢斷城西交響舞曲》（軌一至九），其餘樂曲並非通行世界的名曲，也正是我試聽這張的厡因。伯恩斯坦只是奏得還可以，銅管的勁度及色彩不足，但弦樂的細膩是其他演奏中少見的。艾佛斯《第三交響曲》（軌10至12）以弦樂主導，但Gaffigan好像要強調這曲類近室樂的特質，我覺得弦樂很不夠力，一來室樂團的弦樂也不是軟趴趴，二來無法讓旋律好好歌唱，不是好的演奏。
收錄的兩首巴伯都是很少在美國以外聽到，《醜聞學校序曲》（軌13）這個演奏又更像樣的管弦音色，不過我還是嫌指揮未能帶出作品應有的靈巧。《節慶觸技曲》（軌15）觸技曲一詞，好容易就令人聯想到巴哈的管風琴音樂，此曲確實是一首管風琴協奏曲，一個樂章過，十幾分鐘，沒有可以輕易區分的樂章或段落，但靠快和強，以及慢和柔的輪替去推動樂曲。我覺得有趣的地方在華彩段，單是用耳聽不出，其實只用腳踏演奏。
Ruth Crawford（或者加上她的夫姓Seeger的Ruth Crawford Seeger會較多人聽過）《弦樂行板》（軌14）可不是巴伯《弦樂慢板》那個模樣，更是這碟中最為前衛的樂曲，接近艾佛斯那種現代，多過蓋希文或伯恩斯坦那種現代。
This 2018 recording marked the end of American conductor James Gaffigan’s tenure at the Lucerne Symphony. Most of the disc’s all-American repertoire isn’t the usual choice for such album and that’s why I gave this a try. And it was recorded in the famous Lucerne KKL concert hall.
Bernstein’s West Side Story Symphonic Dances (tracks 1-9) is the only world-famous piece of this album. I expected a slightly lame brass section but I quite liked the tenderness of the strings, something that wasn’t easily heard in other performances of this piece.
Ives’ Symphony No.3 (tracks 10-12) was dominated by strings, yet the strings here were obviously underpowered. Perhaps Gaffigan was aiming for a chamber orchestra sound but even so, the sound shouldn’t be so opaque. Moreover, he didn’t let the strings sing more freely and passionately.
The two Barber pieces were hard to hear outside the US. The School of Scandal Overture (track 13) featured a better-balanced orchestra here but I still found Gaffigan not able to bring out the agility and vitality of this piece. Toccata Festiva (track 15) featured a solo organ part and this 16-minute work was in one movement only. The sections weren’t clear-cut but the dichotomy of fast/strong and slow/tender drove the piece on. I also found the pedal-only organ cadenza to be quite interesting although I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I didn’t look at the score.
Ruth Crawford (or better know with her married name Ruth Crawford Seeger)’s Andante for Strings (track 12) was miles away from Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Crawford’s work was the most experimental sounding of this album; its modernity was closer to Ives’ than to Gershwin’s or Bernstein’s.