Weber: Overtures, Arias, Konzertstück
Martin Helmchen (piano), Anna Prohaska (soprano)
Christoph Eschenbach / Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra (Alpha)
(scroll down for English review)
今年的作曲家50、100、150…周年再多，韋伯本來不是其中，但他有另一個周年其實也很重要，因為今年是《魔彈射手》首演200周年，這齣歌劇是第一部完全的德意志歌劇，不只是德語演唱，連主題都是德國。之前的貝多芬《費德里奧》原作是法國戲劇，故事發生在西班牙；莫扎特《魔笛》又是以古埃及作背景。
艾森巴赫現為這隊柏林音樂廳管弦樂團的音樂總監，這間柏林音樂廳（Konzerthaus Berlin）落成是叫做皇家劇院，《魔彈射手》正是在這兒首演，而1821年又是這場地落成之年。
於是這張韋伯專輯就是應景之作，《魔彈射手》不只奏序曲（軌三），還有兩首詠嘆調（軌四至五）。但我較有興趣卻是兩首稍為冷門的曲目，軌二是我之前介紹過Ronald Brautigam用古鋼琴演奏的《鋼琴小協奏曲》，軌一是不入「韋伯序曲三寶」，絕少演奏的《精靈支配者》序曲。沒聽過這首序曲真是罪過，它很有逼力。
至於《鋼琴小協奏曲》我這次也可以肯定地說，韋伯還是不用原音，用現代大樂隊就恰恰好（舒曼我就沒那麼肯定）。Helmchen的琴音纖幼靈巧，又能把握抒情的機會，音符再碎也不會令樂曲淪為手指操。兩首《魔彈射手》詠嘆調，一首陰森，一首喜悅，是第二女主角Annchen所唱，Anna Prohaska素來有唱這個角色。 《魔彈射手》及《奧貝龍》序曲（軌六）這些較知名的樂曲就相對奏得平凡，仍是不俗的演奏，《魔彈射手》序曲有很悠揚的單簧管獨奏，《奧貝龍》序曲的管樂墊底不錯，但這兩個演奏就是差了點火花。
Weber shouldn’t be on the list of composers celebrating their 50, 100, 150… anniversaries this year, but 1821 was really a landmark year for him and German music. In that year Weber premiered Der Freischütz, the first all-German opera. And it was in the present Konzerthaus Berlin that the opera was premiered, and that building also opened its doors in 1821, so a double anniversary was to be celebrated by this album.
I was most attracted by the two opening tracks. The first one, Overture to The Lord of Spirits, was hardly played, but its vitality was very satisfying. The second track, the Konzertstück for Piano and Orchestra, had Martin Helmchen as soloist. Previously I reviewed Ronald Brautigam’s disc of Weber piano concerti played on the fortepiano. Now with this performance by Helmchen and Eschenbach I can safely say Weber is always better with modern instruments, but I can’t say the same for Schumann. Helmchen’s touch was delicate and he hardly let a lyric moment pass by. Even the too pianistic passages sound musical in his hands.
Since Der Freischütz was celebrated here, the arias of Annchen were included here as well, on tracks 4 and 5. Anna Prohaska sang this role on stage and she brought out the contrasting moods of these two arias adequately. Yet I didn’t feel excited by the Freischütz and Oberon overtures (tracks 3 and 6), two staples of the orchestral repertoire. There were nice solos and a robust wind ensemble but I couldn’t get the sparks that would make these performances special.