Bach: English Suites No.1-6
Sophie Yates (harpsichord) (Chandos)
(scroll down for English review)
見到Chandos今月推出的這套巴哈《英國組曲》全集，才記起自己未曾用古鍵琴來聽完全套《英國組曲》。一聽之下覺得琴音很合我意，打開小冊子一看，果然是部Ruckers，即使是複製品。不厭其煩再說一次，古鍵琴非但可以作出連奏，這部複製Ruckers的音色，可以比現代鋼琴更為圓滑，前提當然是演奏者完全掌握到用古鍵琴彈連奏的技巧，這一點Sophie Yates無懈可擊。
雖然聽完全套，我還是集中談《第六英國組曲》（軌32至37），用它來概括全套。前奏曲（軌32）是全套最長的一首，快板的部分最能展現到巴洛克作曲家，如何利用「質感」，在古鍵琴營造大細聲的錯覺，右手的16分音符，跟左手的八分音符相撞，撞出很密很吵的感覺，如用鋼琴彈，彈得乾淨就錯到極。我覺得Yates還是有保留，速度放慢了一點，讓聲音沒去到那麼躁動。
以慢板來說，我喜歡這套英國組曲的德國舞曲（軌33）多過薩拉班舞曲，旋律憂鬱而流暢，Yates在重覆加的裝飾音不多，我同意的，否則會破壞流動感。她在庫蘭特舞曲（軌34）卻相反，重覆時大加特加，不只是音符多了，更加添了躍動感。
一如第二及第三英國組曲有「裝飾音版本」的薩拉班舞曲，Yates把這裏的薩拉班舞曲（軌35）和變奏合併彈奏，即是兩者只彈一次。如果薩拉班舞曲是AABB、變奏是CCDD，她就是ACBD的彈，而不是AABBCCDD全部彈完。雖然她這選擇無可厚非，不過我覺得以《第六英國組曲》的規模，全部彈完也不過分。在這首的變奏中，我覺得Yates彈得太依書直說，抓不到即興感覺。
嘉禾舞曲（軌36）的第一首，Yates的連奏感強得像弦樂或管樂，可能是想營造鄉村音樂的感覺。第二首她用lute stop去彈，這部琴的lute stop一點都不乾，用它彈多幾首我都願聽。最後的吉格舞曲（軌37），和之前五首不同，這裏的節奏是12/16，亦即是巴哈明顯想它較快。Yates有快一點彈，但我覺得她還是太注重乾淨，不敢令人覺得手忙腳亂。
This is my first time listening to the complete English Suites played on the harpsichord. Yates’ sound was so pleasant; I checked the booklet and as I guessed, she played a Ruckers replica. Together with Yates’ superb legato playing the sound was much smoother and less percussive than a modern piano.
Although I listened to the whole set but let me focus on the Sixth English Suite (tracks 32-37). The Prelude (track 32) is the longest of the whole set and the allegro section is the perfect example of how a Baroque composer created a certain “loudness” effect on the harpsichord by the use of texture. The busy 16th notes on the right hand clash with the 8th notes on the left, resulting in a loud buzz. If a pianist play the passage cleanly, he or she totally misses the point. But I wish Yates could just go a bit faster for the maximum effect.
As slow movement, the Allemande (track 33) often touches me more than a Sarabande. The sorrowful melody flows on, and I agree with Yates’ restrain on embellishments during repeats. But she also made the correct choice in embellishing the Courante (track 34) like crazy. It wasn’t just the addition of notes but an extra swing.
Just like the embellished versions of the Sarabandes on the Second and Third Suite, Yates played the Sarabande and its Double (track 35) just once, without repeats. So instead of AABBCCDD, she simply played ACBD. In my opinion, given the slightly larger scale of the Sixth Suite, there’s nothing wrong with playing all the repeats but I won’t fault her for not doing so. Still, Yates tended to play the written-out embellishments to the letter without infusing a sense of improvisation.
In the Gavotte (track 36) Yates’ legato transformed the harpsichord into a violin or recorder, as if it was playing in a village band. The second Gavotte was played on the lute stop, but the lute stop on this instrument was so resonant that I could hear a whole suite played on that. The Gigue (track 37) on this suite was written with the meter of 12/16 so Bach clearly expected it to be played faster than the gigues on the other suites. Yates did go faster, but not enough to sound breathless.