Brahms: Piano Pieces op.117-119
Paul Lewis (piano) (Harmonia Mundi)
(scroll down for English review)
李維斯一次過灌錄全部四套布拉姆斯晚期鋼琴作品，一共20首，又可以一碟落齊，其實一碟錄齊全套的選擇不多。但這並非一定要聽他的理由，或者李維斯的樂迷想聽他會有甚麼深邃詮釋，不過我覺得這套錄音的優點卻不是這一點，而是他對布拉姆斯後期鋼琴作品的理解，是技術上的，跟大部分人不同。
最常聽到的，是很淡薄地去彈，質感也傾向單薄，去突出布拉姆斯的「後期風格」。但李維斯令我意識到，布拉姆斯晚年的鋼琴寫法，其實和他年青時的交響式鋼琴風格沒差太遠，李維斯很用心的彈和弦，但這些和弦並不是伴奏，因為布拉姆斯常常將旋律寫成一串和弦，於是李維斯把和弦彈得很足秤，不過會避免太尖的觸鍵。所以有時我會想，到底是布拉姆斯選的和弦令音樂感到悲傷或絕望，還是李維斯的較鈍觸鍵使然？可能兩者皆是。
不過當旋律脫離伴奏流動時，李維斯也能清脆又優美的彈出，特別是軌15、作品118第五首《浪漫曲》，實是美艷不可方物。
Paul Lewis brought the four sets of Brahm’s late piano pieces on one CD. You can’t easily find such single-disc releases in the market, you might like to own this on disc but that really isn’t the value of this recording.
I think Lewis did a good job in reversing the cliché that these works should be played with light textures to showcase Brahms’ “late style”. What Lewis did was his utmost attention on the chords, mind you, these weren’t just chords in support the melodies because very often Brahms wrote the melodies as chords. While ensuring the even sounding of the chords Lewis usually avoided sharp articulation. Sometimes I wondered, is it because the chords themselves signal the sadness or is it because of Lewis’ articulation? Perhaps both.
But when a melody is to soar above the accompaniment Lewis would definitely articulate it clearly yet in very alluring tone. The highlight of highlights, I think, is the Romanze (track 15) from the op.118. Lewis’ legato is simply beyond words.