Hindemith: Nusch-Nuschi Dances, Sancta Susanna, Mathis der Maler Symphony
Marin Alsop / ORF Vienna Radio Symphony (Naxos)
(scroll down for English review)
艾爾梭卸下波爾的摩及（巴西）聖保羅兩隊交響樂團之總指揮之後，現在領導的是維也納廣播交響樂團，從新世界到舊世界，卻反而是有更多指揮現代或前衛音樂的機會。作為她的長期伙伴，拿索斯推出了她和此團的第一張唱片：享特密特專輯。
亨特密特最為傳世之作《畫家馬蒂斯交響曲》（軌九至11）以外，還有他在1920年、乘着德國第二帝國崩潰、威瑪共和國的開放環境下發表的驚世之作。此碟收錄了幾乎一談到亨特密特都會提到，但實質很少人聽過的三齣獨幕歌劇中的《聖蘇珊娜》（軌四至八）以及《路舒路施》（德文對睪丸的戲稱）的三首舞曲（軌一至三）。
《路舒路施》三首舞曲把玩異國風情，稍帶戲謔。《聖蘇珊娜》是修女過度性壓抑成狂的故事，雖是歌劇，但亨特密特好像當成是交響曲來寫，啟首的長笛旋律貫穿全曲，乍看代表田園風情，但其實是揮之不去的執迷、惱人的慾望，推展到軌七刻畫的慾火焚身。此作品真的不只是大膽話題，的確展露出亨特密特寫精彩管弦樂的實力，所以接上《畫家馬蒂斯交響曲》就剛剛好。
但用聽經典曲目的角度來說，艾爾梭這個演奏就比較平凡，尤其是頭兩個樂章，第三樂章她算是進取，不過樂隊的表現一般，奏不出此作的氣魄。
After leaving Baltimore and São Paulo, Marin Alsop is now leading the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. But this Viennese post is anything but conservative, providing her a wide, or even a wild opportunity to explore new music. This Hindemith album is their first CD, and an all-Henze album is to follow.
It’s a real treat to pair the evergreen Mathis der Maler Symphony with two of the early one-act operas that propelled Hindemith as an enfant terrible of Weimar Germany. Actually only Sancta Susanna (tracks 4-8) was recorded here in full, this tale of sexual repression set in a cloister revealed Hindemith’s orchestral skills, most prominently in the climax (track 7) when the title character couldn’t hold back her desire any longer.
The Nusch-Nuschi Dances (tracks 1-3) are exotic pieces and serve the function as a disc opener. Not really impressive but worth a listen. The Mathis der Maler Symphony requires no introduction so I’ll just comment on the playing. Alsop was just so-so in the first and second movements, although she was more daring in the third movement, the orchestra simply couldn’t realize Hindemith’s majestic orchestration in its full glory. So this is a well-curated album but falls short on the most famous work of the programme.