Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Julien Behr (Pelléas, tenor), Vannina Santoni (Mélisande, soprano), Alexandre Duhamel (Golaud, baritone)
François-Xavier Roth / Les Siècles (Harmonia Mundi)
(scroll down for English review)
羅特與他的原音樂團世紀樂團錄德布西《佩利雅斯與梅麗桑》，當是一個里程碑，我意思不是說錄音質素好到成為里程碑，而是德布西多數管弦作品，聽者及指揮都已極少思量正確的管弦聲響該是怎樣、可以怎樣，但《佩利雅斯》就沒那麼確定。
此錄音道明全體弦樂用羊腸線，管樂全部用1900左右的法國樂器，更是支支都列出牌子、型號及年份。坦白說，這個原音演奏非但沒有將何謂正確的《佩利雅斯》弄得更諱莫如深，反而是更簡單直接，而這對我來說是好事。
聽了這個錄音，令我覺得一些比較認真的指揮，就是認定聲音非同小可，左調右較，但牽一髮動全身。羅特這錄音，可能就是採用原音樂器，管樂輕描淡寫就有稍為不同的聲音，弦樂上，羅特非但不去追求矇矓，往往放手讓他們用力，既可能是羊腸線，又可能是少用或不用揉弦，用來的聲音稍硬但有力而到肉。
稍為可惜是歌唱上較普通。Julien Behr的佩利雅斯，開頭我還以為想打破此角色文弱的刻板印象，結果還是愈唱愈弱雞，第四幕的高潮還是不夠釋放。Vannina Santoni的梅麗桑，我本來也是欣賞她沒唱得那麼幼稚，但之後也愈見貧血。最後是我愈來愈喜歡的高勞，可是Alexandre Duhamel擔當不起，或者是羅特不想樂隊蓋過歌手，但也逼不出歌手的實力。
I see this new complete recording of Debussy’s only finished opera as a milestone in François-Xavier Roth’s exploration of the 1900 HIP sound, because this opera might as well be the holy grail of such endeavour. We seem to have no problem on how should a Debussy orchestral piece sound, but Pelléas remains enigmatic.
Roth and Les Siècles delivered a rather straight forward sound, with a very beneficial effect in making the piece less enigmatic. It seemed there was no need to seek a special blending in the woodwinds, as the use of historical instruments produced a slightly exotic sound almost automatically. Roth often let his strings, playing on gut string and often with little or no vibrato, produce a rough sound. No more false ethereal qualities here, drama reigns supreme.
But the singing was a bit mediocre. The singers might not be sub-par but this recording couldn’t bring out the best in them. Julien Behr’s Pelléas was initially virile, for a moment I thought he’d subvert the clichéd image of Pelléas being weak. But no. Vannina Santoni’s Mélisande also seemed at first less naïve than we’re used to but then she also grew increasingly anaemic. Alexandre Duhamel’s Golaud might have an extra dose of tragic gloom but he couldn’t deliver the rage and pain in the right moments.