Brahms: The Symphonies (1963-64 cycle)
Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic (DG)
(scroll down for English review)
卡拉揚在DG錄過三套布拉姆斯交響曲全集，1960、1970、1980年代各一套，都是柏林愛樂。這是1960年代那套，具體說是1963及64年灌錄，最近在串流平台見到它以全集形式上架。
CD年代見到的卡拉揚布拉姆斯，多數是1970年代及80年代那套，前者是卡拉揚所謂的巔峰期，後者則是數碼錄音，但已是卡拉揚晚年。這套1960年代錄音，雖然一直有CD，但沒以一套過的形式再版，亦不會標明1960年代錄音，現在用回黑膠封面，有卡拉揚型仔玉照，變得非常易認。
我聽這套，除了是因為新上架，最主要原因是聽了馬克維奇1961年的《幻想交響曲》，令我記起了錄音師Günter Hermanns，所以趁此機會去聽他和卡拉揚的合作。而喜歡卡拉揚1962年那套貝多芬交響曲的朋友，也好應該試試這套錄音，因為是同一時期。
或者樂評人好像對介紹卡拉揚錄音有所避忌，可能卡拉揚太過大眾、太過入屋，自命口味不凡就應敬而遠之？但這套錄音，我覺得仍比卡拉揚一貫水平為高。我一直也是崇尚1970年代的卡拉揚，尤其是那一套少被人留意的貝多芬，這次聽1960年代的布拉姆斯，頓時有不同想法。因為1970年代的卡拉揚的確有最銳利準繩的聲音，但這套布拉姆斯的弦樂，我卻喜歡那種略鬆的音色。我常說「厚重」這個字，但這裏是厚卻身輕如燕，在慢板中最為明顯。
四首交響曲我覺得《第三》（軌九至12）最為標青，查一查錄音日期，原來另外三首都是在1963年10月的一星期內錄，《第三》卻是在一年後所錄，弦樂倍加熾熱，《第三》既是布拉姆斯四首交響曲最冷門的一首，我希望卡拉揚這個上乘演奏能令你也喜歡上這首。
最後順帶一提，有人戲稱余隆為「余拉揚」，可能是笑他權力很大。但我覺得用音樂角度來看，對卡拉揚的藝術無知，才會以為這樣是恥笑余隆，其實是侮辱卡拉揚、抬高余隆。
I just found this Brahms cycle conducted by Karajan, his first on DG, on streaming platforms. Although this 1963-64 Brahms cycle has always been available on CD, but if I remember correctly, it was always the 1970s or the 1980s cycles that were reissued as a set. Now with the original LP artwork, this first cycle is more presentable than ever.
Markevitch’s sonically fabulous 1961 Symphone fantastique brought to my attention Günter Hermanns, who was Karajan’s most trusted Tonmeister. And that’s the prime reason I came to this set, although I’ve always convinced myself that the late 1970s DG recordings were Karajan at his best.
Now I think otherwise, although the engineering might have something to do with it. The 1970s recordings were razor sharp in execution and sonics but this 1960s cycle had a slightly blurred sound resembling an aural aura. The string sound was typically thick as Karajan liked it but here it was thick without being weighty, and it soared to the heavens especially in slow movements.
Of this set, I prefer the Third without reservation. The recording dates showed that it was recorded in September 1964, and the remainder had been taped over a week in October 1963. The Third has long been the unloved one of the Brahms symphonies, yet the strings were so intense here, fully revealing the passion of this overlooked work, I’m sure if you listen to this recording you’ll start looking at it differently.