Sep 1, 2022 7:30pm Kulturpalast, Dresden
Manfred Honeck / Pittsburgh Symphony
Schulhoff: 5 Pieces for String Quartet (arr. for orch.)
Ravel: Piano Concerto (Hélène Grimaud)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5
(scroll down for English review)
不只是因為一直都有介紹他們的新碟，而是漢尼克和匹茲堡交響樂團在我心目中有特別地位，差不多勝過其他美國大團。2013年同一時間在柏林聽過，主曲目是《英雄的一生》，團長就是不久跳槽到柏林愛樂的Bendix-Balgley。但樂迷就是追捧那些大團，他們來亞洲巡迴的機會現在很微，而我在可見將來也不會去美國，唯有在歐洲聽他們了，結果又從德國西面的科隆來到東南的德累斯頓。
近年漢尼克喜歡把歌劇改編成二、三十分鐘的管弦曲，就像史托高斯基那些歌劇管弦版那樣。開場曲目舒荷夫《五首弦樂四重奏小品》也由漢尼克和他一位老拍檔Tomas Ilie改編，此曲應是舒荷夫現今最常被演奏的曲目，但我想不到這個改編並非只是給弦樂團，而是給一個三管編制樂隊，木管、銅管、敲擊都有，完全聽不出原本是弦樂樂曲，把五首小品的特質盡情放大，非但不是室樂的放大版，直頭變成20世紀喧鬧風格那樣，改編者就像作曲家肚裏那條蟲，只從蛛絲螞跡便找到非常適合的樂器去奏。（Grimaud的拉威爾鋼協，不予置評。）
昨晚聽麥凱萊的馬勒六，感慨日後要從較易的傳統曲目，才能聽到他到底能有幾大詮釋能力。現在漢尼克的柴五，正是一種值得追求的理想，因為準繩及奇想俱備，麥凱萊是做足馬勒的要求，但柴可夫斯基的樂譜沒那麼仔細，漢尼克就有能力想像出不同奏法、不同層次。常常說，伯恩斯坦的指揮，令人有作曲家即席創作的感覺，但會不會是大家見他的台風太強，太投入，所以就假設他作曲家上身？我認為漢尼克這種，才算是創作式的詮釋。之後的旅程會聽多兩隊美國樂團，且看匹茲堡能否如我所願，比那兩團比下去。
As I won’t be going to America very soon, I have to go to Europe to catch Manfred Honeck’s Pittsburgh Symphony. The first and last time I saw them was at a 2013 Berlin concert. Their Ein Heldenleben was a revelation and the playing exceeded most, if not all American orchestras.
Honeck has been working with Czech composer Tomas Ilie producing opera fantasies very much in the tradition of Stokowski’s opera synthesis. Here they give us a full orchestra version of Schulhoff’s 5 Pieces for String Quartet. No, this isn’t a string orchestra arrangement but with notable participation of woodwinds, brass and percussion. The five character pieces are now blown up to the grotesque sound world of the 20th century. This truly breathes new life into this already oft-played chamber masterpiece.
I’m starting to have doubts on Mäkelä as whether he could produce meaningful interpretations on more standard, and easier repertoire. Honeck’s Tchaikovsky 5 turned out to be an ideal example of precision combined with inspiration. Tchaikovsky didn’t mark his scores as meticulously as Mahler did so conductors, especially nowadays, have the duty to come up with new ideas. To me, Honeck is truly a “conductor as composer” reinterpreting pieces you thought you’ve known like the back of your hand.