Handel’s Unsung Heroes
Leo Duarte (oboe), Thomas Gould (violin), Joe Qiu (bassoon)
Lucy Crowe (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Iestyn Davies (countertenor)
David Bates / La Nuova Musica (Pentatone)
(scroll down for English review)
非一般的韓德爾詠嘆調專輯，名為「無名英雄」，說的卻不是歌手或角色，而是樂隊中的樂師，指揮David Bates特意選擇一些有樂器獨奏的詠嘆調，主打的三種樂器是小提琴、雙簧管及巴松管。通常韓德爾詠嘆調專輯，都會由一個歌手包辦，但此碟用了三位歌手，女高音、女中音及假聲男高音，都是英國現今的一流歌手，即使和歐陸的相比，又未去到頂尖水平。
不過我覺得這碟沒我想像般特別，雖然還是悅耳。我想有三個原因，首先是選曲未算突出，不過這點只是一半半，因為韓德爾歌劇或神劇詠嘆調總有一個大概模樣，只要你不去選最膾炙人口的幾首，就註定分別不大。第二是三種樂器的獨奏其實不算特別，當不上主角，我反而最滿意軌一至軌五，以小號或圓號為主打的詠嘆調，不過我標榜它們，又好像對原來的主角不公平。最後就是獨唱質素，雖是出名、都是我樂意去捧場的，但唱到出來就沒有明星丰采，彌補不了選曲的平凡。
The “Unsung Heroes” refer not to the soloists in the stage, but those in the pit. Handel wrote some of his opera arias with solo obbligato, and it is the violin, oboe and bassoon that are celebrated in this album of Handel arias. Handel opera arias albums tended to focus on just one singer, but there are three here, all cream of British singers.
But this album turned out to be less extraordinary than I thought. I could think of three reasons for that. Firstly the arias weren’t that spectacular vocally. But to be fair the Handelian aria has a certain mould and if you don’t just select the most celebrated ones they won’t sound so different from one another. And then the writing of the solo instruments wasn’t virtuosic enough to steal the spotlight. Finally, although the album featured top British singers but they simply aren’t international opera stars and their vocal abilities weren’t formidable enough to redeem such generic Handel arias.
Incidentally the opening tracks were the most enjoyable as these featured trumpets and horns.