Stravinsky: Firebird Suite, Petrushka Suite
Carlo Maria Giulini / Chicago Symphony (Warner)
(scroll down for English review)
今年是史特拉汶斯基逝世50周年，華納把它庫存一些黑膠年代的史特拉汶斯基曲目舊錄音，重新在數碼媒介上架。這張是朱里尼1969年為EMI灌錄，由芝加哥交響樂團演奏的兩首史氏芭蕾舞劇的組曲。《火鳥》是最常聽到的1919年組曲，至於《彼特魯斯卡》今天已是習慣演奏全曲，但這類是刪去十分鐘的組曲版，相信是因為遷就黑膠的長度才選用這版本，覺得可惜也沒法子，朱里尼沒有錄過《彼特魯斯卡》的全曲。
聽完這張47分鐘的專輯，覺得可以一併談朱里尼在兩曲的取態。他非常着眼於中板或慢板音樂的旋律感，是名副其實的嘆慢板。在配器較厚的段落，他很細心的調較各樣樂器，多數的史特拉汶斯基作品的錄音或演奏難免會有點亂糟糟。
但另一方面，需要爆發、突然迎頭棒喝的地方，朱里尼亦可以較多數指揮精準。現在很多樂迷都將朱里尼定形為溫文、專注於德奧樂派的大師，但如果你看過他在1950、1960年代的指揮影片，就會知道他其實也可以很火爆、帶出作品稜角及火花的指揮。
For the Stravinsky anniversary Warner re-released the relevant recordings from their back catalogue on digital platforms. This Giulini album, recorded in 1969, featured two ballet suites. The Firebird Suite was the 1919 one, while Petrushka, now usually played in full, was here recorded as a suite with about 10 minutes cut from the complete ballet. I guess a complete recording wasn’t possible back then because of the play-time of the LP. Anyway Giulini never recorded the full ballet.
In both suites Giulini placed huge emphases on the melodies of medium or slow tempi. In densely orchestrated sections he calibrated the balance meticulously, avoiding the messiness of many Stravinsky performances.
Yet he was able to deliver sharp punch lines. Younger music lovers might have associated Giulini with slow-burning renditions of the Austro-German repertoire but in the 1950s and 1960s he was much recognized as a wizard of orchestral vigour, as shown in some concert films from that era.