Bach: The Cello Suites (played on viola)
Martin Stegner (viola) (Phil.Harmonie)
(scroll down for English review)
這是用中提琴演奏的巴哈無伴奏大提琴組曲全集，進入21世紀，恍似封印解除一般，愈來愈常見到中提琴家去奏。Martin Stegner是柏林愛樂中提琴手，試過用中提琴演奏舒曼兩套聯篇歌曲。
用中提琴拉無伴奏大提琴組曲這一點，我沒有像數天前談低音古提琴奏鳴曲時有特別大的懷疑。中提琴升高八度拉（第六組曲先降五度再高八度），而Stegner仍能做到不同音域、不同聲部上的反差，做到這一點我就對用中提琴沒異議。而Stegner的A弦高音拉得不錯，這一點在音域明顯比其餘五首組曲高的第六組曲，就大派用場。雖然在前奏曲（軌31）上得最高，但德國舞曲（軌32）則有更長時間要留在上面，也令Stegner證明到功架，彷彿他的中提琴多了一條E弦那般。
希望六首組曲能拉得各有特色的朋友，可能會嫌Stegner的處理過於一致，例如頭四個組曲的前奏曲他是一貫地快，第二組曲前奏曲（軌七）我們聽慣較灰暗的奏法，但Stegner的拉法和第一組曲前奏曲（軌一）差不多，第四組曲前奏曲（軌19）他也是拉快，甚至全部音都用頓奏。
除了第六組曲的德國舞曲、由於巴哈的高度裝飾，逼使演奏者一定要採用慢的基本速度，其餘的德國舞曲Stegner都是拉得偏快。雖然難以肯定巴哈想或不想要這麼快，但對我來說，一來在法國巴洛克樂曲中的德國舞曲，通常是稍慢及較平靜，二來看巴哈每個組曲的排序：前奏曲、德國舞曲、庫蘭特舞曲、薩拉班舞曲，假如德國舞曲都拉得快，就是連續三個快的舞曲了，要是快慢快慢就平衡得多。
薩拉班舞曲Stegner似乎追求高尚、多過悲傷，至於第五及六樂章的兩種舞曲，假如和他整首組曲的速度及節奏感相比，我覺得Stegner就不夠清爽俐落。
As the viola is increasingly recognized as a solo instrument, more and more violists are playing the Bach cello suites, as if a seal has finally been broken. A violist at the Berlin Philharmonic, Martin Stegner previously recorded two Schumann song cycles on the viola.
I’m less doubtful about violists playing the cello suites, than with cellists playing the Bach gamba sonatas. Stegner achieved the necessary tone colour and register differences on the viola, to me it’s a prerequisite of playing the cello suites on the viola. His tone on the upper register of the A string was beautiful and that was especially handy while playing the Sixth Suite which went higher than the other five suites. The Allemande (track 32) might not be the highest of the Sixth Suite but the player had to stay on the top for the longest duration. Stegner played these high-pitch stretches in such a nice tone, as if his viola has an extra E string.
For those who prefer a varied approach to each suite, Stegner might haven taken too uniform an approach. He played the First to Fourth Preludes consistently quick, even the Second Prelude that is usually played darker and slower. And he played the Fourth Prelude as a staccato piece, omitting most of the slurs. To me such consistent approach was justified but not particularly likeable.
As for the allemandes, Stegner was mostly brisk with the exception of the highly ornamented Sixth Allemande. Now I don’t agree with his quick allemandes. To me such tempi made these allemandes too sunny, instead of the slightly melancholic allemandes in French baroque music. Of course we can’t say for sure if that’s really too quick in the mind of Bach, but if the prelude is already quick, then another quick allemande, and then a quick courante… It’d be three brisk dances in a row, until the sarabande. I’d say a fast-medium-fast-slow sequence would make more sense.
Stegner avoided excessive sadness in the sarabandes and highlighted their dignity. As for the concluding dances I wish Stegner could play them with more rhythmic force to set them apart from the opening dances.