Brahms: Symphony No.4
James MacMillan: Larghetto
Manfred Honeck / Pittsburgh Symphony (Reference Recordings)
(scroll down for English review)
漢尼克和匹茲堡交響樂團的新碟，繼續從疫情前的演出找錄音出碟。上次這個組合的貝九，我非常喜歡，假如你也滿意的話，這個布拉姆斯《第四交響曲》也不容錯過。上次貝九的響亮銅管，這次在布拉姆斯也有，我再次強調不單是大聲，而是有穿透力，在高潮時為音樂帶來額外的逼力，其實聽一些幾十年前的歷史錄音，有時也會聽到，只不過現在就肯定是有心做出來，而不是錄音技術不足。再講究一點，漢尼克重視銅管，也令他們在和聲上扮演更大的角色，是平時的演奏很少聽得到的。
漢尼克今次也有寫樂曲介紹，把他的詮釋重點寫得很仔細，尤其是第四樂章，分很多個段落並附上時間位置，假如你買實體碟就千萬不要浪費他的心機，照着來聽吧。另外他也提過如何做出最好弦樂連奏的問題，他的答案是叫弦樂有時不用對齊弓法，換弓要更多，我覺得這個演奏又真的做得出綿延的弦樂連奏，值得留意。
另外第三樂章我都覺得有非凡的演奏，漢尼克不只是快，而是保持很大的逼力，這樣反而令一些句子的如歌感覺更強，因為很紥實地一句一句奏出來，另外樂章後段醞釀高潮時，定音鼓打得很清晣，所以令人很緊張。第四樂章也是現在少有的快速，實際的演奏時間只有9:20，現在很多演奏都會過十分鐘，漢尼克把基本速度定得快而緊，中段又有充裕的紓緩，到後段的爆發，銅管再次扮演重要角色。
麥米蘭《小廣板》（軌五）是匹茲堡交響樂團的委約作品，寫來紀念漢尼克出任音樂總監十周年。但作品並非原創作品，麥米蘭將他的無伴奏合唱作品《垂憐經》編給樂隊，成為一首15分鐘的慢板。音樂語言簡單得不用解釋，而且不說也不知原本是宗教合唱曲。我覺得最特別是中段，大約六分鐘開始，小號及圓號恍似念經般，將同一個音重複。原本人聲來唱，因為有歌詞所以不會突兀，但想不到轉為樂器演奏也有好效果，這段會在結尾前重覆，更會加入長號。
Here’s another pre-covid recording from Pittsburgh with Manfred Honeck tackling Brahms’ Fourth Symphony this time. In their previous issue of Beethoven Ninth I savoured the loud but razor-sharp brass and they also made a substantial presence in Brahms. This isn’t the overwhelming “brassiness” so typical of the Chicago sound but the Pittsburgh brass also served important harmonic function so ignored by the baton wizards of today.
Like the Beethoven Ninth Honeck again penned the booklet notes with his interpretational insights that only an active performer could give. He also made a point of achieving the best string legato by non-uniform bowings and bow changing. Honeck walked his talk and you really must pay attention to the strings.
Notable interpretative novelties can be found in the last two movements, in the third movement Honeck maintained a taut beat but rather than stiffening the melodies such tension actually enabled the melodies to be played much more articulated than we’re used to. Approaching the final climax, the crescendo of the timpani rolls was so full of tension and made this piece sound very fresh.
Clocking in at 9:20, the finale was started with a very majestic, almost frightening beginning. Honeck started with a tight rhythm but allowed enough relaxing space during the middle major section. The minor section came back with a vengeance and once again the brass played such a dominating role, making this new recording of Brahms Fourth a must for those who thought they’ve heard them all.
James MacMillan’s Larghetto (track 5) was commissioned by this orchestra to celebrate Honeck’s first decade in Pittsburgh. MacMillan orchestrated his a capella choral work Miserere into this Larghetto, but the end product sounds anything but choral. The language is so assessable that verbal introduction is simply superfluous. But I find the middle section, starting around 6:00, really extraordinary. The monotonic chant of the original is now given to a horn and a trumpet, but the one-note melody (sorry for the oxymoron) is still enjoyable without words. In the closing section a trombone is added to the mix.