Ysaÿe: Sonatas for Solo Violin
James Ehnes (violin) (Onyx)
(scroll down for English review)
今年是易沙意逝世90周年，今年至今已出了兩張他的無伴奏小提琴奏鳴曲全集，本月下旬更會有第三張。年頭本來想談第一張，但因為年青人拉得太差而作罷。如今恩尼斯初次錄齊易沙意無伴奏奏鳴曲，當是信心保證，令人期待。
其實我聽完無謂去評的那張，就去聽楊天媧在Naxos的那張，那張的確是前列的演奏，和恩尼斯叮噹馬頭。簡單說兩人的差別，我會說楊天媧追求最大的表達力，倣似每一句都是和巨人搏鬥，恩尼斯則是要最美的聲音，不讓多聲部的奏法及高難度的技術要求犧牲音質，真是各有千秋。
不過全套作品，無論在聽者及奏者之間都未算流通得廣，就只是第三首「敘事曲」最為熱門，其餘五首普遍被冷待。又很陳腔濫調的說，恩尼斯的精湛演奏或能令你對其餘作品改觀，但他的敘事曲（軌九）又的確特別，主要是啟首的宣敘調部分。經他示範，可謂九成小提琴家都掌握不到宣敘調的曲風，人人好像急不及待要入炫技的正題。
此外，也有個別樂章值得特別留意：第一奏鳴曲第三樂章（軌三）、第四奏鳴曲第一樂章「德國舞曲」（軌十）、第五奏鳴曲第一樂章「日出」（軌十三），我覺得都是柔和得來暗藏許多炫技難關。
2021 is some sort of an anniversary of Ysaÿe, who died 90 years ago. Perhaps that’s why there is already two new discs of the solo violin sonatas, with another one coming later this month. I was going to review the first one but finally chose not to, as it was sub-par but you’d never find such case in a Jame Ehnes recording.
After I heard that sub-par recording I went back to Tianwa Yang’s Naxos recording and this is what I’d set Ehnes against. They were both made with breathtaking technique but Yang seemed to be aiming for the maximum expression, every phrase sounded like a fight to death. Ehnes was after the impeccable tone, finding the nicest sound amidst all those finger-breaking chords and pyrotechnics.
But it is such a pity that the Ysaÿe set never find true popularity among players and listeners. It was mostly that the Third Sonata “Ballade” that we got to hear, quite often as an encore after a concerto. It might be a cliché to say Ehnes’ set is a good excuse for you to explore the rest of the set. Still, his Ballade (track 9) did stand out, especially the opening recitativo. After listening to his rendition you’d understand that 90% of violinists failed to grasp what a recitativo is and they simply wanted to get over it and start the exciting section.
There are three movements that I want your attention, these are all slower or gentler movements that demand much virtuosity. First Sonata, third movement (track 3), Fourth Sonata, first movement “Allemande” (track 10) and Fifth Sonata, first movement “Dawn” (track 13).