Beethoven: String Quartets op.127-135
Lindsay String Quartet (Decca Eloquence)
(scroll down for English review)
聽完全套連施四重奏的第一套貝多芬全集，不過中期四重奏沒幾多東西想講，所以集中談後期四重奏。連施四重奏繼續把忠於樂譜帶到去中期及後期作品，不過中期作品本來的層次不如早期作品豐富，所以這些演奏有時會有點悶，尤其是作品59第一首，但連施四重奏能夠以較為重型的聲響，去配合貝多芬改變了的寫法，所以三首作品59四重奏都奏得頗有交響味。
進入後期四重奏，這套錄音像意大利四重奏一樣，無法用三張CD裝完，要用多一張。速度是有點慢，但我絲毫不覺得為慢而慢，聽作品127時，尤其在第二樂章（慢板）我感受到是安寧而不是悲情，也令我很少有地可以很專心的聽這個樂章，而作品127素來是後期四重奏之中，比較不受歡迎的一首，這個演奏令我更為重視這首。
我相信多數人聽貝多芬後期四重奏是為了聽慢板，我覺得連施四重奏在這方面，可能會令不少人失望，但那卻是我覺得難得的地方。因為他們沒有把這些音樂「知識分子化」，硬塞一些哲學含意、超越生死的額外意思，慢就是慢，柔就是柔，於是作品131或132的慢板多少都奏得有點呆滯，原因是他們維持選好的速度，如果貝多芬不叫加速或減速，就即是他想要維持同一感覺，演奏者毋須為他修正。
這種取態也可在《大賦格》見到，連施四重奏不會刻意將此曲呈現為刺耳、實驗的困難音樂，大聲就大聲，不會額外加力，這個演奏對我來說十分理想，因為達致了一種猛烈而不暴烈、特別而不怪異的境界。這也是我對連施四重奏這套後期四重奏的總體印象，把作品很純淨地呈現。
I finally listened to the rest of the Lindsays’ first Beethoven cycle, but I have nothing special to say about the middle quartets so I’ll focus on the late quartets.
Like Quartetto Italiano’s Philips cycle the Lindsays’ late quartets had to be spread on four discs so that attested their slower tempi and the observance of repeats. Under their hands the adagio of the op.127 quartet sounded serene rather than elegiac. Since this quartet was the unloved one of the late quartets the Lindsays’ interpretation convinced me of its truth worth.
Surely many listeners focus on the heavenly adagios but I’m afraid some would be disappointed. The Lindsays’ avoided intellectualizing or philosophizing the music. Slow is slow, soft is soft and there is no need to infuse some metaphysical meanings. Therefore the adagios of the op.131 and 132 quartets sounded static or sluggish but that was because the Lindsays stuck to the tempi they chose. If Beethoven didn’t specify a tempo change then why should we think of improving him?
Such approach can also be felt in the Grand Fugue. This interpretation was loud but without attempting to signify its avant-garde or thorniness. Loud is simply loud and that doesn’t mean ugly. This is the ideal performance to me as the Lindsays managed to make this music sound unique rather than quirky and the same can be said of all of their late quartets.