Beethoven: Symphony No.6 (arr. Shai Wosner), Piano Trio op.1 no.3
Emanuel Ax (piano), Leonidas Kavakos (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello) (Sony)
(scroll down for English review)
年初才推出第一集，現在艾斯、卡華高斯及馬友友又來一張三重奏版的貝多芬交響曲，今次又是專為他們改編，《田園交響曲》（軌一至五）由以色列鋼琴家Shai Wosner改編。
鋼琴部分卻寫得很簡單直接，不會勉強將樂隊的重量移植，第一樂章鋼琴撮要地承載音樂，小提琴及大提琴非但不用一直演奏，卻像是給鋼琴拍和。不過這個效果我又喜歡，或者是因為艾斯把旋律彈得鏗鏘又具歌唱感。較慢的第二及五樂章，小提琴及大提琴會有較大比重，暴風雨的第四樂章，改編者刻意避免製造噪音，改為用顫音去表達繃緊。
後半部（軌六至九）就是貝多芬原創的鋼琴三重奏，作品一的第三首。我個人覺得《鬼魂》及《大公》奏得太密了，作品一（一共三首）鋼琴三重奏向來被低估。以往聽這套作品，我的側重點都是聽鋼琴的難，這裏我覺得艾斯有意識的退居末席，讓弦樂成為主角。就是卡華高斯及馬友友的本領，令相對簡單的弦樂旋律變得很有趣味，但就是艾斯的收斂，總體來說令我覺得他們三人把此曲變得太古典、太海頓，而不是貝多芬透過挑戰海頓去表達自我。話雖如此，我希望艾斯、艾華高斯及馬友友繼續錄貝多芬。
This “Million Dollar Trio” of Ax, Kavakos and Ma gave us yet another Beethoven album before 2022 closes. The arrangement of the Pastoral Symphony was again made for this trio of superstars, this time by the Israeli pianist Shai Wosner. Contrary to my expectation the piano part is economical and concise enough that the violin and cello parts sometimes sound like accompaniments, especially in the first movement. However I was rather pleased by such unidiomatic sound, perhaps due to Ax’s articulate but highly singing playing.
In the more relaxed second and fifth movements the strings had a heavier role, soaringly singing the melodies. The arranger made the right decision of not giving us a noisy fourth movement, the storm. It’s just senseless to conjure the sound of a shrieking orchestra with just three players. Wosner instead concentrated on tension and evoked that with incessant tremolos.
Unlike the first album our superstars included an authentic Beethoven trio this time. No, no Ghost, no Archduke, but the third of the op.1 trios. Once again contrary to my expectation Ax toned down the concertante-like piano part and yielded Kavakos and Ma. These two really deserved credit in rendering those rather simple-sounding melodies as if they’re made in heaven. But taken as a whole, this reading was too classical, too Haydnesque to me and I miss the rebellious element of Beethoven in his debut work as a full-fledged composer. Nevertheless I look forward to further Beethoven releases from this trio.