Tchaikovsky: Dumka, op.59; Romance op.5; No.2, 5, 6 from op.51; Nocturne from op.10; No. 4,18 from op.72
Prokofiev: 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet
Barry Douglas (piano) (Chandos)
(scroll down for English review)
1986年柴可夫斯基大賽鋼琴組冠軍道格拉斯，在Chandos灌錄的「柴可夫斯基加一」系列來到第三集。這系列是用柴可夫斯基獨奏鋼琴作品去配搭一位俄國作曲家，上兩張分別配搭拉赫曼尼諾夫及穆索斯基。柴可夫斯基方面，今集初次踏入較冷門的曲目。
大約分成兩類，一種是感傷（軌一、二、三、六、七），另一種是詼諧舞動（軌四、五、八）。前者又未至於柴可夫斯基交響曲或協奏曲那種大情大性的浪漫旋律，是較為接近《季節》六月及十月那種傷春悲秋。後者又不是三大芭蕾舞劇那種優美舞曲，而是很有民俗風、泥土味的舞曲。如此比較或者不公平，但相比起協奏曲或《鋼琴三重奏》的「演奏會」取向，這些樂曲的沙龍味較重，適合一般演奏者彈奏。
道格拉斯雖然有冠軍身份，但這八首曲子我不覺得彈得出色，他在搶板及造句上頗刻意地避免單調，但我寧願他在發音上講究一點，令這些稍遜一籌的曲目好聽一點，而不是特別一點。
普羅歌菲夫《羅密歐與茱麗葉十首小品》（軌九至18）這裏是少有的完整演奏，我覺得鋼琴家好像少看這些作品，可能是覺得它們不夠深度，或者並非專為鋼琴而寫，寧願彈奏鳴曲或者《瞬間幻影》。但我認為先不要視這個鋼琴版本為原始構思及管弦成品之間的「半製成品」，反而是用鋼琴及鋼琴家的目光，將樂曲重新思考，並不是搬字過紙，而是表達出鋼琴特質的重新創作。
道格拉斯這曲的演奏卻令我很滿意，或者是普羅歌菲夫的發音指示非常充足，只要做足便能令演奏很有味道，又或者是作品難度較本碟的柴可夫斯基高，所以刺激了腎上腺素……又或者是兩日的錄音中，這首較後錄，所以熟習了場地的鋼琴？
This is Barry Douglas’ third issue of his “Tchaikovsky Plus One” series on Chandos. The previous two discs had Rachmaninov and Mussorgsky as Tchaikovsky’s company and on this issue there are more obscure Tchaikovsky pieces.
Let me put these in two types: the melancholic (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7) and boisterous dances (tracks 4, 5, 8). The melancholic pieces don’t have that grand passion of Tchaikovsky’s piano concertos or the Piano Trio, while the boisterous dances are of a more folksy or peasant nature. Frankly these eight pieces are more salon than concert hall so it’d be unfair to say they lack glamour.
Douglas’ credentials as a Tchaikovsky performer were proved for his win in the 1986 Tchaikovsky Competition, yet I don’t think he gave a convincing performance of these eight pieces. He tried hard to make them sound special by exaggerated rubato or phrasing but I think he should have put more effort into tone production. There is really no need to make lesser pieces sound special but it sure pays to make them sound nicer.
Prokofiev’s 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet (tracks 9 to 18) are more often played as encores but here Douglas presented the whole set. I think pianists have been overlooking this suite, preferring to play the same Prokofiev sonatas or the Visions Fugitives over and over. First we shouldn’t think of this suite as something between Prokofiev’s first thoughts and the finished orchestral score. Nor is this only a transcription, a reduction of an orchestral piece. Prokofiev tailored this reworking to the possibilities of the piano with the mind of an exceptional pianist.
Douglas did Prokofiev much better than Tchaikovsky. Perhaps the minute markings by Prokofiev freed the pianist from filling in the blanks, or maybe Douglas had an adrenaline rush by such difficult music. It’s also possible that in this two-day recording session, Douglas recorded Prokofiev after Tchaikovsky and by then he had fully adapted to the house piano.