R. Strauss: Orchestral Works
Yuja Wang (piano), Yo-Yo Ma (cello)
Andris Nelsons / Boston Symphony, Gewandhaus Orchestra (DG)
(scroll down for English review)
尼遜斯率領他的兩隊樂團：波士頓交響樂團及萊比鍚布業大廈樂團，一炮過推出七碟裝的理察史特勞斯管弦樂曲集。我真正信服尼遜斯有真材實料，不是虛火，就是在2011年看他指揮柏林愛樂演奏《玫瑰騎士組曲》，他很大膽地將節奏拉長縮短，對着柏林愛樂毫無懼色，現在已是頭幾名的大指揮了。
這套碟其實只聽了不足一半，已有東西值得談。首先實體派的曲目排序和串流版不同，實體版先是把波士頓的錄音放在三張碟，碟四至六則是萊比鍚，碟七兩者都有，包括兩團並肩演奏的《節日前奏曲》。但以下連結的串流版則另有排法，兩團的錄音夾雜起來，更顯得波士頓的錄音錄得較細聲（甚至是較差），聽的時候需要調高一兩格。此外也值得留意萊比鍚是把小提琴分置左右，波士頓則是全部放左邊。我將聽了的樂曲簡單評介：
軌一：《莎樂美》七重紗之舞（萊）。很誇張的搶板，當音樂來聽是有趣的，但假如是在歌劇舞台這樣奏，可能極為阻礙舞者。
軌二至五：《間奏曲》四首間奏曲（波）。音響較遜，而且奏得很亂。
軌六至十：《玫瑰騎士組曲》（萊）。慢的段落他頗願意去拖慢，還是可接受，只是做不出滿溢的感情。
軌11：《火之渴求》愛情場面（波）。太鬆，連旋律都拉散了。
軌12：《芭蕾小忌廉》圓舞曲（萊）。夠搖曳及喧鬧，但演奏可以更熟練。
軌13至17：《狄爾開玩笑》（波）。開頭的圓號獨奏很出聲，不過整體上指揮太執着要把節奏弄到最精準，反而太機械，失卻遊戲感覺。
軌18：《唐璜》（萊）。慢的地方太慢了，幾乎令我相信唐璜是真心的。
軌19：《詼諧曲》（萊）。王羽佳鋼琴獨奏，尼遜斯已經準備好和她硬碰硬，但她反而不夠硬，音符夠快但不夠強。
軌20至33：《唐吉軻德》（波）。馬友友大提琴獨奏，他第三次錄音，第一個是1984年，小澤征爾指揮波士頓交響。沒有比較前兩個錄音，但馬友友比我預期還要去得更盡，沒有隨年紀收斂，但放在這曲卻是絕頂。色彩很豐富，揉弦很大，都令本來不是寫給獨奏家的大提琴部分生色不少，如果不這麼誇張其實會很悶。
Andris Nelsons brought together his two orchestras, Boston and Leipzig, for a 7-CD boxset of R. Strauss’ orchestral works. The track listings of the CD version and the digital version are quite different, the CD version lumps the Boston recordings on the first three discs, then three discs of Leipzig, and a final disc with both orchestras. Also, the sonics of the two batches of recordings differ in such a way that I had to turn up the volume in all of the Boston performances. And it is worth noting that the Leipzigers played with antiphonal violins, but not the Bostoners.
I’m just half way into the recordings but here’s a checklist of my thoughts so far:
Salome Dance of the Seven Veils (Leipzig): Daring rubato. It’s intriguing from a musical standpoint but if it were for a live opera performance the dancer would feel constricted.
Intermezzo Interludes (Boston): Sonics unsatisfactory and the playing messy.
Rosenkavelier Suite (Leipzig): Nelsons preferred to go much slower in the slow sections. I accept that but a pity it couldn’t go over the edge emotionally.
Feuersnot Love Scene (Boston): Too loose to the detriment of the melody.
Schalagobers Waltz (Leipzig): Swingy but the playing needed more drilling.
Till Eulenspiegel (Boston): The opening horn solo was exemplary. I admire Nelsons’ effort to render the correct rhythm, which is usually overlooked in standard performances, but the sense of play was drastically depleted.
Don Juan (Leipzig): Even slower than I expected, especially the slow sections. So much so that Don Juan sounded like a sincere lover.
Burleske (Leipzig): Yuja Wang could have delivered a ferocious performance, but didn’t. Notes were simply quick but without the steely qualities that Wang would have done in Russian concertos.
Don Quixote (Boston): Yo-Yo Ma compensated the not-too-virtuosic solo writing with lots of colour and vibrato. A truly supreme Don Quixote but some might be put off by the excesses.