Beethoven: Overtures
Igor Markevitch / Orchestre Lamoureux (DG Eloquence)
(scroll down for English review)
Eloquence最近把馬克維奇（1912-1983）在環球古典的全部錄音出版，分成兩盒：DG及飛利普，一共四十幾張碟。幾年前華納古典已經把他的EMI錄音推出盒裝，又是十幾張碟。即是這位指揮在不足二十年間，於三間唱片公司錄了六十幾張CD的錄音，令人難以置信。
DG部分，大約有一半單聲道、一半立體聲，前者有很多是和柏林愛樂灌錄，後者則多是在巴黎和這隊今天已沒甚聲名的拉姆赫管弦樂團灌錄。馬克維奇和拉姆赫在同一時期也有和飛利普錄音，亦是用立體聲，相比之下，飛利普的音質明顯較佳，荷蘭的技術居然勝過德國。
話雖如此，DG那邊的也值得聽，第一張我選了這張貝多芬序曲集介紹，既是立體聲錄音，也因為全張過的貝多芬序曲已經買少見少。馬克維奇較為以色彩豐富的俄羅斯曲目著稱，例如在飛利普盒裝的柴可夫斯基交響曲全集，他當年也是《春之祭》的有名詮釋者。
但假如貝多芬也這麼色彩豐富、精彩刺激呢？馬克維奇的極端音差、不收斂的銅管，在德奧交響樂團很少會有，甚至是當時的代表：卡拉揚和柏林愛樂也不會這樣奏。法國樂團，會否演奏得太鬆散？這裏不會，馬克維奇有能力把重磅大樂隊，當成輕便刺刀使用，既有力又俐落。他也不是一味地快，善用放鬆空間來留位衝刺。雖說德奧樂團少有這種聲音，但他的爆發及狂喜，卻令我聯想到福特萬格勒，就如福氏翻生用立體聲錄音那般。本碟頭四首是最知名的，不過我覺得最為精彩的是軌六的《劇院獻禮序曲》。
Eloquence celebrates Igor Markevitch (1912-1983)’s recorded legacy with two 20+ CD boxes, DG and Philips respectively. Warner Classics has already issued a box set of his EMI recordings so Markevitch actually recorded over 60 CDs worth of music in less than two decades, what an amazing feat.
The DG box is half mono, half stereo. The mono portion mainly consists of sessions with the Berlin Philharmonic; the stereo features his Parisian recordings with the Lamoureux orchestra. As Markevitch/Lamoureux also recorded for Philips so the comparison of the sonics is inevitable. It might come as a surprise that the Dutch won hands down.
Still the DG recordings are also worth exploring. I chose this Beethoven overtures firstly because it’s stereo, and then a full disc of Beethoven overtures is no longer in fashion. Markevitch is now remembered as a wizard of Russian orchestral works, leaving his mark on the Tchaikovsky symphonies (Philips) and in his times he was a notable interpreter of the Rite of Spring.
What if Beethoven could also be so colourful and exciting? On these Beethoven recordings, Markevitch’s dynamic range was astonishing and it is so exhilarating to hear such unbridled brass, something you don’t often hear from German or Austrian orchestras, most typically from Karajan and the Berliners in their early days. Markevitch maintained strict discipline with the Lamoureux players; I’d say he wielded a heavy saber with unbelievable precision. He wouldn’t rush all the time but he always left enough room to maneuver. Although I compared the Markevitch sound over the Austro-German one, on many occasions the excitement and ecstasy reminded me of Furtwängler. It was as if the icon had left his grave and left his testament in stereo. You might focus on the most famous overtures but the one to die for is actually The Consecration of the House (track 6).