Handel, Scarlatti
Pierre Hantaï (harpsichord) (Mirare)
(scroll down for English review)
韓岳這張新碟是用韓德爾配搭史卡拉第，這兩位和巴哈同是生於1685年的巴洛克巨匠。韓岳上一張唱片是四首韓德爾鍵盤組曲，而他在過去廿幾年來一共錄過七張史卡拉第專輯，除了第一張我全部都聽過，改變了由鋼琴家給我的史卡拉第的印象，感到一種自然閑適的樂趣。
韓岳把兩人合在一起，對我來說就是不用聽足一張碟的韓德爾或一張碟的史卡拉第，或者也能令其他人試試另一位作曲家。小冊子作者扭盡六壬去寫韓德爾及史卡拉第的異同、兩人在1720年曾在同一天空下等等，文章雖然有趣，但對欣賞音樂可能幫助不大。
我認為分開欣賞就好，就如叉燒、切雞、油雞、燒鴨、燒鵝都是燒味，但雙併起來就是不同味道，這裏韓德爾併史卡拉第還不用加錢。
我先說史卡拉第（軌七至九、14至17），韓岳其餘幾張史卡拉第專輯，其實沒大分別，不存在第一集最精彩、然後選曲愈選愈差這個問題。儘管個別史卡加第的奏鳴曲會較有名，鋼琴家通常彈來彈去都是那批，但555首奏鳴曲的格式大同小異，實在不會像貝多芬鋼琴奏鳴曲般，例如有四分一特別好聽那樣。而韓岳的演奏，勝在平鋪直敘，重覆奏也極少會加裝飾音。很多鋼琴家彈的史卡拉第令我很厭惡，快的奏鳴曲就彈到神經兮兮、慢的就彈到氣若游絲，Greilsammer上次在香港彈的，我就覺得很造作。
至於韓德爾，韓岳就很強調他的鍵盤作品和法國巴洛克風格的關係，首先不得不提，軌二至六的所謂《D小調組曲》其實是來自三首組曲的不同樂章，加上韓岳自己編曲的《忠誠牧羊人》序曲，合成一首更大的組曲。和史卡拉第相反，韓岳在重覆奏大加裝飾音，有時更差不多去到改旋律的地步，不過這種彈法很適合韓德爾，因為就這樣重覆就太呆板，他始終不像史卡拉第有這麼純粹的感覺。韓岳另一個變化，是有時會在重覆奏時用上鍵盤彈，彈出很柔和的質感，可在碟中兩首德國舞曲（軌二及11）聽到，我都非常喜歡。
Pierre Hantaï combined his two possibly long-term projects in this joint issue of Handel and Scarlatti. He recorded four Handel suites in his previous recording, and he already issued seven Scarlatti albums. I heard the last six which were released on Mirare, like this album.
I find it even more enjoyable for Hantaï to combine the two as the music got to vary a bit. The booklet writer tried so hard to compare the two composers and raised the interesting fact that these two 1685-born composers could have crossed paths in the English isles. A well-researched article, but I don’t think that shed much light on the music itself.
The six previous Scarlatti albums were all delightful; there was simply no concern that the selections got blander, as the Scarlatti sonata is a rigorous form and the quality hardly varies. What I admire in Hantaï’s Scarlatti is his directness; he chose not to embellish the repeats because the sonatas are so pure on their own. Just like spoiling Bach, pianists tend to have a warped view of Scarlatti, approaching his sonatas in a manic-depressive mindset.
As for the Handel, Hantaï emphasized his connection with the French harpsichord school. By almost complete contrast he generously embellished the repeat, sometimes using the upper manual to render a very tender cantilena, especially in the Allemandes (tracks 2 and 11). The first suite he played here (tracks 1-6) was compiled from D minor pieces from various suites, with the Il Pastor Fido overture transcribed by Hantaï.