Respighi: Bach and Rachmaninov Transcriptions
(Bach: Prelude and Fugue BWV 532, Passacaglia and Fugue BWV 582, 3 Chorale Preludes
Rachmaninov: 5 Etudes-Tableaux)
John Neschling / Liège Royal Philharmonic (BIS)
(scroll down for English review)
Neschling指揮的雷斯碧基管弦作品系列，這張是巴哈管風琴作品及拉赫曼尼諾夫鋼琴作品的管弦版。我對巴哈較有興趣，但先談放在最後的拉赫曼尼諾夫《音繪練習曲》（軌八至12）。我覺得雷斯碧基真正為拉赫曼尼諾夫添加的，不是管弦色彩，而是一個畫面，他為原本的樂曲都加了標題，例如軌11那首現在叫《小紅帽與狼》，軌八叫《大海與海鷗》。
至於三首巴哈，雖然原曲都是管風琴，但我覺得管弦版仍有微妙分別。軌一至二的《D大調前奏與賦格》，雷斯碧基不單是把樂曲管弦化，也不單是用管弦樂模倣管風琴，我的詮釋是用管弦樂模倣管風琴模倣管弦樂，更是19世紀那種管風琴音樂，而不是巴哈年代的。
軌三至四《C小調帕薩加利亞舞曲》所用到的色彩不只是這句弦樂、那句木管那麼簡單，而是同一類樂器中都有很豐富的層次。如果說原曲是在教堂演奏的管風琴，我覺得雷斯碧基所建構出來更是一間教堂，就是如此宏偉。史托哥夫斯基的巴哈改編，偏重於把好旋律移植及釋放管弦色彩，但我就覺得還是雷斯碧基能夠多上一個層次。
The latest issue of John Neschling’s series of Respighi orchestral works, with the orchestrations of Bach and Rachmaninov. I’m more interested in the Bach pieces but let’s go through the orchestrations of five Rachmaninov Etude-Tableaux (tracks 8-12) first. I think the only worthwhile element that Respighi brought to these pieces isn’t orchestral colour, but a picture, an image. It’s because Respighi added titles to the originally untitled pieces. Track 11 is called Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, track 8 is The Sea and Seagulls.
The Bach pieces are all written for organ but Respighi didn’t follow an exact protocol in their orchestrations. The D major Prelude and Fugue (tracks 1-2) isn’t just expanding the organ into an orchestra, nor having the orchestra imitate the organ. My way of putting it, is the orchestra imitating a 19th century organ composer imitating the orchestra.
The C minor Passacaglia (tracks 3-4) isn’t just simply “strings for this phrase, woodwinds for that phrase” but the orchestral groups are very nuances in themselves. If the original Bach piece is an organ playing in a church, I’d say Respighi actually constructed a church with his orchestration. It’s so awe-inspiring that Stokowski’s Bach orchestrations somewhat paled in comparison.