Scriabin: Symphony No.1-3, Poem of Ecstasy, Prometheus
Eliahu Inbal / Frankfurt Radio Symphony (Decca)
(scroll down for English review)
續上一天帖文，我很概略地寫對這五首作品的感受。史克利亞賓一句名言是：我年青時的偶像是蕭邦，之後是華格納，現在是我自己。
《第一交響曲》這次我聽頭兩三次，覺得很能延續到柴可夫斯基，以及史克利亞賓同輩拉赫曼尼諾夫的浪漫派交響風格，聽到格杰夫的演奏時，就更覺得全首交響曲的柔和旋律，哪管以快或慢、剛或柔來呈現，都頗有蕭邦的味道，大膽一點說，幾乎會是蕭邦寫交響曲的模樣？此作有六個樂章，中間四個樂章大致等同於傳統交響曲，第一樂章是較長的慢板引子，第六樂章更有兩位獨唱以及合唱，我深信史克利亞賓寫這個合唱樂章，阻礙了此曲的流行。
《第二交響曲》除了延續前作的浪漫濃情，我覺得開始有點華格納，以及像理察史特勞斯的雄壯氣氛。五個樂章，同樣可以看成「四加一」，即是第一樂章是較長的慢版引子。此作沒有《第一》的感傷，有較強英雄抵抗命運的意味，處於中間的第三樂章行板，幾乎就像拉赫曼尼諾夫般濃情，就差在旋律沒那麼扣人心弦。第五樂章我聽來就很德國、很華格納、很有戰勝凱施的感覺，不過作曲家自己就有點後悔寫成這樣。
《第三交響曲》（神聖之詩）用上了四木管、八圓號、五小號這個華格納式的大編制，三個樂章無間斷，幾乎50分鐘長，三個樂章副題為「爭鬥」、「喜悅」、「神聖遊戲」。第一樂章我還是覺得偏長，但那個很有英雄氣慨、有點《七俠蕩寇誌》主題曲感覺的英雄旋律，的確十分醒神。第二樂章是濃情慢板，第三樂章是之前音樂的大雜燴，我個人感覺就不只是華格納、理察史特勞斯，而是馬勒那種大愛狂喜了。
《狂喜之詩》及《普羅米修斯》有時會被稱為第四及第五交響曲，但還是那兩個題目較吸引，對吧？這兩曲，就真的印證了從蕭邦、華格納，去到完全的史克利亞賓個人風格。《狂喜之詩》我看不用怎介紹，巨大的管弦聲響之上，小號如巨鳥翱翔（格杰夫的比喻），實在是用音樂描寫形而上體驗的一個絕頂示範。《普羅米修斯》再於華格納管弦體制之上加上鋼琴（就是代表史克里亞賓的樂器）以及合唱團，爭鬥、狂喜、勝利的表現，比起《狂喜之詩》更勝一籌。格杰夫指揮馬林斯基樂團、Alexander Toradze鋼琴獨奏的錄音是我最喜歡的，所以額外附上。
Scriabin’s famous dictum that he idolized Chopin in his youth, then Wagner, and ultimately himself could be a rule of thumb to introduce his symphonic works from the First Symphony to Prometheus.
Scriabin’s First Symphony has six movements that somehow translate into a “four plus two” canvas. The second to fifth movements almost correspond to a traditional symphony, the first movement is an extended slow introduction and the sixth movement is a choral movement with solo tenor and mezzo-soprano. At first I felt this symphony is an extension of the romantic ideals of Tchaikovsky or even Rachmaninov’s symphonies, but when I heard Gergiev’s recording I just couldn’t shake off the thought that the melodies are so Chopinesque, as if it were a Chopin symphony. This is such a melodious symphony with manageable emotions but the choral finale definitely hindered it from getting performed more.
The five movements of the Second Symphony might also be seen as “four plus one”, with only the extended slow introduction. The Second Symphony got rid of much of its predecessor’s sentimentality, and the heroic struggle in the first movement is quite Wagnerian, even Straussian. The third movement is such a romantic slow movement that rivals a Rachmaninov adagio. The fifth movement is triumphant but in a rather martial or Teutonic manner, Scriabin was ultimately disappointed with having written such an anomaly.
Scriabin moved into Wagnerian instrumentation with the Third Symphony (Divine Poem). Almost 50-minute long it is cast in three uninterrupted movements subtitled Struggles, Delights and Divine Game. Taking up half of the symphony’s duration is the first movement, which I consider to be overlong but the heroic theme that emerges from nowhere became an earworm. The second movement is once again a passionate adagio and the third movement is a culmination of what comes before and results in a Mahlerian ecstatic conclusion.
Poem of Ecstasy and Prometheus are often referred as the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies but those descriptive titles are definitely more eye-catching. I guess the Poem of Ecstasy almost requires no introduction, you just couldn’t miss the trumpet solo which soars above that huge orchestra and Gergiev’s likening it as a big bird flying in the sky couldn’t be better put. And this work is proof that metaphysical experience might indeed be represented musically.
On top of a Wagnerian orchestra Scriabin threw back the chorus, and solo piano (Scriabin’s beloved instrument) into Prometheus. Although less played than Poem of Ecstasy, its representation of struggle, ecstasy and victory clearly exceeds the previous work. I consider Gergiev’s Philips recording with Alexander Toardze as soloist and the Mariinsky Orchestra to be the best that I heard so I also included its YouTube clip on this page.