Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Moonlight, Appassionata, Tempest
Nikolai Lugansky (piano) (Harmonia Mundi)
(scroll down for English review)
盧根斯基在Harmonia Mundi第二張貝多芬鋼琴奏鳴曲專輯，這次是三首著名「有別名」奏鳴曲，《月光》、《熱情》、《暴風雨》。可能《月光》（軌一至三）的第一樂章，會令一些人覺得太硬太大聲，不過聽下去就會發覺盧根斯基在追求一種每個音符都鏗鏘有力、或者「有骨頭」的聲音。盧根斯基想要的話，他也能彈出軟趴趴的琴音，就是在樂譜標明dolce「輕柔」的地方。
我不肯定盧根斯基是否想模倣古鋼琴的觸感，但從他這種堅實的琴音作為出發點，我覺得他能做出冷靜、卻同時強而有力的貝多芬演奏。不過就犧牲了不少音量及音色的幅度，亦由於保持鎮靜，不被霎時衝動左右，很容易落入夠大聲但感情不夠的情形，我覺得在《熱情》（軌四至六）及《暴風雨》（軌七至九）的頭尾樂章就較為明顯。
Nikolai Lugansky’s second Beethoven disc on Harmonia Mundi has him in three famous “name” sonatas. The first movement of Moonlight (tracks 1-3) might sound too harsh-toned for some listeners but if you listen on you’ll see Lugansky was trying his best to articulate every note so his tone would always has a “bone” in it, which I’ll liken to fingers. But Lugansky could produce velvety sounds if he wanted to, particularly in passages marked dolce.
Perhaps Lugansky was after a fortepiano-like articulation, but I’m not sure. With such solid articulation Lugansky was able to render some monumental readings without losing his cool. But to me the dynamic and timbre ranges were a bit restricted, sometimes passages were loud without being passionate, the result of suppressing his impulses. These shortcomings were more obvious in the fast movements of Appassionata (tracks 4-6) and Tempest (tracks 7-9).