R.Strauss: Five Songs, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, Salome – Dance of the Seven Veils, Final Scene
Jessye Norman (soprano)
Klaus Tennstedt / London Philharmonic (London Philharmonic)
(scroll down for English review)
不少人認為諾曼的《最後四首藝術歌曲》是此曲最佳錄音，這個1986年5月4日的現場錄音，就有她獻唱理察史特勞斯五首（管弦）藝術歌曲，以及《莎樂美》最後一場。譚士達指揮倫敦愛樂，年過50的樂迷應該對他有相當印象、甚至喜愛，諾曼及譚士達合作的現場錄音本應是重要紀錄。
開碟的五首藝術歌曲（軌一至五），她在《最後四首藝術歌曲》那張碟都有，我覺得欣賞諾曼收放自如的歌藝，聽這些藝術歌曲，勝過聽較重型的《莎樂美》，但不表示後者她唱得不好，五首歌我覺得《搖籃曲》（軌四）最令人屏息。
諾曼後來和小澤征爾錄了全齣《莎樂美》，所以這個錄音同樣不屬於「未出碟」曲目。我不否認倫敦現場觀眾的震撼，但從錄音去聽，又未去到難忘的境界，因為這個BBC的現場錄音質素稍低，但諾曼唱《莎樂美》（軌16至18）的音質基本上沒有走樣，也就代表沒我想像中重炮。這不一定是她的問題，而是在音樂會的設定中，諾曼不用唱歌劇之前的部分，一下子就跳到最終場，聲音又會有幾多熱力呢？
譚士達和倫敦愛樂，在《七重紗之舞》（軌15）像半昏睡狀態，之前的《小資貴族組曲》（軌六至14），樂曲根本先天不足，演奏又毫不突出，我覺得大家不值得花時間（超過半小時）去聽。
Many consider Jessye Norman’s Four Last Songs recording with Kurt Masur to be the best on disc, so this 1986 LPO all-Strauss concert with Klaus Tennstedt might be of huge interest to them. Norman opened the concert with five Strauss songs (available on that Four Last Songs album) and ended the concert with Salome’s last scene.
Not really in pristine sound, this recording could still capture Norman’s exquisite control and subtleness in the Strauss songs (tracks 1-5). The Wiegenlied (track 4) is simply unmissable.
Norman later recorded the complete Salome with Seiji Ozawa so the last scene (tracks 16-18) here isn’t new to her discography. I sure would want to be part of the 1986 audience but listening to this recording I seriously doubt if that’s her top form. It’s almost paradoxical to wish a singer be fresh before the showstopping aria because then the voice wouldn’t be hot enough, and that’s what happened to Norman here. Singing excerpts in concert could never replace the opera experience.
Tennstedt and the LPO weren’t in top form either and they seemed to be half awake during the Seven Veil Dance (track 15). Playing the Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite (tracks 6-14) between the Norman sections might appeal to rarities seekers but neither the work nor the playing deserved 35 minutes of my time.