Bruch: Symphonies No.1-3, Overtures
Robert Trevino / Bamberg Symphony (CPO)
(scroll down for English review)
聽完布魯赫的小提琴協奏作品全集，再聽他的交響曲全集（共三首），都是CPO品牌，是在2019年灌錄，於2020年布魯赫逝世一百周年時推出。Accardo在1970年代的布魯赫小提琴協奏作品錄音，是在萊比鍚和Masur錄的，而他們也錄過這三首布魯赫交響曲，我少年時聽過頗有好感，現在重溫就聽Trevino的新錄音。
雖然也有兩三套全集錄音，但這套是第一次灌錄足本的《第一交響曲》（軌一至五），因為布魯赫在首演前把第二樂章（軌二）刪去，這樂章名為間奏曲，卻是名符其實的慢板樂章，我覺得比第四樂章那個（軌四）更出色。我不會說《第一》是傑作，但這首樂曲卻令我很有軍隊或帝國的感覺，很多旋律頗有軍歌的味道，終曲的速度指示是「如戰爭的快板」，布魯赫日後的《蘇格蘭幻想曲》也有同一指示的終曲。
《第二交響曲》（軌五至八）是令我最失望，卻不是因為它寫得最差，反而是第一樂章我頗為滿意，只是剩餘兩個樂章無而為繼。這首交響曲則可以用陰沉來形容，我之所以滿意第一樂章，是因為不同《第一》，布魯赫不用奏鳴曲式就寫到16分鐘長。陰沉不代表沉悶，反而很有前進動力，灰暗和緩和兩者交替得不錯，不過很易聽到舒曼《第二交響曲》及孟德爾遜《蘇格蘭交響曲》的影響。之後兩個樂章：慢板及終曲快板，旋律比較平凡又寫得太長氣。
《第三交響曲》（軌14至17）用回較安全的四樂章形式，在它和《第二》之間，布拉姆斯已經發表了他的頭兩首交響曲。又是用一個形容詞，布魯赫《第三》則是柔情，再用多一個詞會是高尚。可惜就是，此作雖然比前兩首平均，但較難找到特色。軌九至13是歌劇或合唱作品的序曲或前奏曲，有順耳的旋律不過又像布魯赫多數作品，比較平凡。
Robert Trevino’s complete set of Bruch symphonies was recorded in 2019 and released in 2020 for the Bruch centenary that was overshadowed by Beethoven. This is by no means the first recorded cycle but it’s the first one to include the dropped second movement (track 2) of the First Symphony (tracks 1-5).
Although Bruch made this decision just before the premiere I definitely object to it because this slow movement (titled Intermezzo) is obviously better than the one in place (track 4). But let’s summarize the First Symphony: to me this 1868 symphony has a very imperial, even militaristic feeling. It’s very macho, march-like, with melodies very much like soldier songs. The finale (track 5) even carries the tempo indication Allegro guerriero, which Bruch would use again for the finale of the Scottish Fantasy.
The Second Symphony (tracks 6-8) was the most disappointing of the set. Not that it’s the worst written, on the contrary, it’s because of the very promising first movement that I felt let down by the two movements than go after it. I’m amazed by the fact that Bruch managed to write this 16-minute first movement without using sonata form which he did in the First. Now the overall mood is gloomy, but that doesn’t mean boring as Bruch drove the movement on by alternating gloom and repose. The influences of the Schumann Second and Mendelssohn Scottish Symphonies could be readily felt. The remaining movements suffer from lackluster melodies and they simply move too slowly.
Between Bruch’s Second Symphony and his Third (tracks 14-17) Brahms had shocked the musical world with his first two symphonies. Bruch returned to a more secure four-movement structure in the Third Symphony. From heroic to gloomy, now tenderness seemed to be key word here. It’s pleasing throughout but no part of it actually stands out. The remaining portion (tracks 9-13) consists of overtures and preludes from Bruch’s opera or choral works. And as usual with Bruch, they were decently written but hardly extraordinary.