Brahms, Berg: Violin Concerto
Christian Tetzlaff (violin)
Robin Ticciati / DSO Berlin (Ondine)
(scroll down for English review)
我第一個反應是，特茨拉夫又錄布拉姆斯？感覺就像已經三四次那樣，原來只是第二次，他在樂壇都有30年了。他繼貝多芬及西貝流士的協奏曲後，再與提賽弟和柏林德意志交響樂團，配搭是貝爾格，好像在香港藝術節聽過他和同一個樂團（另一位指揮）拉過。
布拉姆斯（軌一至三）我最為欣賞他的發音乍似纖幼，其實頗有質感，比許多以為厚重緩慢就等於磅磗的演奏，更令我有感情深刻的感覺。我覺得不只是小提琴協奏曲，就連布拉姆斯的鋼琴協奏曲也應朝着這個方向，一味厚重大聲是死路。近年亦有把此曲的第二樂章加快演奏的趨勢，這裏最為影響到著名的雙簧管獨奏，不過是好的影響，造句變得更為合理。
這個貝爾格（軌四至五）演奏，我覺得換成現場演奏可能行不通，但這是錄音，就談錄音本身吧。特茨拉夫在運弓及揉弦都有很豐富的變化，不是一味追求大聲（以求不被樂隊蓋過）或者追求最順滑的發音。就是層出不窮的發音，令我覺得很接近管樂或人聲的彈性，在即使是同一氣氛的段落中，也能唱出不同的音色及感情出來。
After a previous coupling of the Beethoven and Sibelius concertos, Christian Tetzlaff once again partnered with Robin Ticciati and DSO Berlin for this remake of Brahms’ concerto, coupled with the Berg. In the Brahms concerto Tetzlaff was apparently aiming for a slimmer tone, but that’s an illusion, the tone had much body that couldn’t just achieved by intense bowing. Thus this light-sounding performance gave me more emotions than the heavier ones. I guess Brahms’ piano concertos should also be played like that, the titanic approach is a dead end.
Teztlaff’s rendition of the Berg concerto might not work in live circumstances but let’s just enjoy this recording as it is. Tetzlaff’s palette of bowing and vibrato was so wide that he coaxed so many colours and nuances from the violin part. It’s a far cry from most violinists who try so hard to play all the notes in a super-legato while making sure they won’t be drowned out by the orchestra. It’s precisely such variety of Tetzlaff’s tone that he came closest to the elasticity of woodwind or voice, producing so many timbres and emotions even within the same passage.