Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6
Erich Kleiber / Paris Conservatoire Orchestra (Decca)
老克萊伯在Decca的錄音，樂迷通常集中聽他的貝多芬或者《玫瑰騎士》，其實他還在巴黎錄過柴可夫斯基四及六，樂團為巴黎管弦樂團的前身巴黎音樂院管弦樂團，我集中談第六，這套碟例外有Ricci和另一位指揮錄的柴可夫斯基《小提琴協奏曲》。我在以下的連結會直接跳至第六。
1949年錄的第四，奏得快但比較單調，1953年的這個第六，善用快慢兩種極端，都可以從中激出很凌厲的感情，而且老克萊伯和這隊巴黎樂團，同樣可以做出他在阿姆斯特丹或維也納的貝多芬錄音中的爆炸而齊整的弦樂。第一樂章最為精彩，未到快速衝刺的中段，弦樂已經奏得很哀怨，中段後的高潮也頗有痛感。第四樂章要留意不只是老克萊伯的快速，而是他將旋律用較長的分句，聽來比大家聽慣的爽快但也較深情。
When we talk about Erich Kleiber’s Decca recordings, the Beethoven recordings or the complete Rosenkavalier set always get the most attention. You might not know of his Tchaikovsky’s Fourth and Sixth Symphonies with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra. This Eloquence reissue also includes Ricci’s Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. This review will focus on the Sixth Symphony and this YouTube link will take you there directly.
The 1949 recording of the Fourth Symphony was very speedy but a bit monotonous. Just four years after, Kleiber’s Sixth Symphony was of another caliber, the average speed was on the quick side but the extremes are far apart, and the intensity was high. More importantly Kleiber was able to get the same disciplined yet explosive string playing as in his Vienna or Amsterdam recordings. I like the first movement most, the music was passionate enough before the quick and loud middle section. A sense of heartbreak can be felt after the climax. As for the finale, don’t just focus on Kleiber’s brisk tempo, pay attention to the phrasing. The lines were longer than we’re used to yet to me contain more pathos than slow but choppy phrasings.