Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Symphony No.2 (arr. for Piano Trio)
Alexander Melnikov (fortepiano), Isabelle Faust (violin), Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)
Pablo Heras-Casado / Freiburg Baroque Orchestra (Harmonia Mundi)
(scroll down for English review)
Harmonia Mundi又一張貝多芬周年新碟，由旗下三粒星作原音三重奏演奏，不過沒我想像般超班，雖不算平凡，但又沒幾多詮釋的新意或極致的演奏水平。《三重協奏曲》我先前介紹過Lubimov、Sinkovsky及Rudin的原音演奏，這裏的第一樂章似乎只能在高潮衝多一點、猛多一點就當作有新意有活力，三位獨奏好像不是真心覺得作品有趣。第三樂章他們較願意在造句上做多一點修飾，比起第一樂章只是衝，有趣得多。
軌四至七則是新奇曲目，而這種曲目很少會被明星演奏，這是《第二交響曲》的鋼琴三重奏版，應該是由貝多芬親自改編。演奏上，三人已經盡力，仍算是一個有勁的演奏。但我對改編本身更有感受，按常理去想，三支樂器去演奏一首交響曲是太少人，不過我聽這個改編，倒是覺得太多人。因為鋼琴已經彈得到大部分音樂，小提琴大提琴好像搭枱那樣，在這裏那裏附和幾句。
Melnikov、Faust及 Queyras願意為這個改編留下一個錄音，沒錯是好，但我覺得他們還是正正經經去錄貝多芬其他鋼琴三重奏更好，他們以前只錄了兩首。
Another Beethoven disc from Harmonia Mundi, with its three stars performing as a HIP piano trio. The playing wasn’t mediocre but not as exceptional as I expected of them, both in terms of the technique and interpretation. In the first movement of this Triple Concerto, this performance seemed to rely on the cheap thrills of rushing and bursting. The soloists didn’t seem to be enjoying it. The third movement was more relaxed and the trio took more effort polishing the lines.
Tracks 4-7 are a rarity, the piano trio arrangement of the Second Symphony. It was probably re-cast by the composer itself. The players did their best in delivering an energetic performance but the arrangement itself is more revelatory to me. Rationally speaking one would suggest that three instruments are too few for a symphony. After listening to this I’ll say otherwise. Three are too many, as the piano already carried most of the contents. The violin and the cello seemed to be bulging in a monologue.
I sure welcome Melnikov, Faust and Queyras setting down a rare Beethoven work, but what I really long for is a complete reading of the Beethoven piano trios. They only recorded two, so far.