Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante
Myaskovsky: Cello Concerto
Mischa Maisky (cello)
Mikhail Pletnev / Russian National Orchestra (DG)
(scroll down for English review)
之前介紹過兩張V佩特連科把普羅歌菲夫配搭米亞斯科夫斯基的交響曲專輯，原來這張在1995年推出，由麥斯基大提琴獨奏及帕尼夫指揮的CD也是「普米配」，不過是大提琴協奏曲。這碟廿幾年前不時在眼前出現，當時不感興趣，現在見到就忍不住試聽。
我先聽米氏的《大提琴協奏曲》（軌四至五），它只得兩個樂章，第一樂章更是慢板，在大提琴協奏曲中頗為罕見。一如他的交響曲，這首協奏曲雖然於1945年完成，樂曲的氣質仍是較像19世紀的俄羅斯音樂，聽這個慢板，令我忽發奇想，它會不會就是柴可夫斯基沒寫的大提琴協奏曲呢？不過此曲很少人拉，不是沒有道理，我覺得很大原因是難度不夠，米氏可能沒有意識、或者故意不去寫很炫技的協奏曲。
那麼這首作品就很需要一位能夠將簡單旋律，很有感染力地演奏的大提琴家。至於麥斯基算不算是呢？我覺得麥斯基一個過人之處，是在於他厚實的發音，聽他拉琴不怎需要用腦，穩如泰山的聲音便能令人傾倒，亦能使人信服這首作品就是不用修飾。第二樂章佔三分二篇幅，就好像是把中板結合快板，完成從慢到快的發展。另一個會令人覺得不夠刺激的原因，是米氏好像有意想將類近的材料從頭用到尾，沒錯是頗有一致性，但夠不夠吸引力我就不敢肯定。
普羅歌菲夫《交響協奏曲》（軌一至三）則有不少大提琴家演奏，錄音不少，不過我未在現場聽過。在羅斯卓波維契的要求或催逼下，普羅歌菲夫把獨奏部分寫得頗難，就正好對上觀眾口味，也肯定能刺激到獨奏者的腎上腺素。雖然交響協奏曲這個名字可能只是唬頭，但樂曲的結構真的很難捉摸，兩個十分鐘的樂章，夾着一個二十分鐘的第二樂章，那樂章長得來又有點像狂想曲，不拘一格，亦令我想起普氏同期一首不算特別受歡迎的大作：《第六交響曲》。聽完麥斯基這個演奏，我還未敢說自己已經克服此作，也不敢評論麥斯基拉得怎樣了。
Previously I reviewed two CDs by Vasily Petrenko who paired a Prokofiev symphony with a Myaskovsky symphony. Never did I realize this 1995 Mischa Maisky CD (conducted by Mikhail Pletnev) was a similar coupling, with Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante with the more obscure Myaskovsky Cello Concerto.
I listened to the Myaskovsky (tracks 4-5) first. The work is cast in two movements and the opening movement is an adagio, a very rare instance in the cello concerto repertoire. This 1945 work is typical Myaskovsky in his retro style; sometimes I wonder if this work is the unwritten Tchaikovsky cello concerto? It didn’t take me long to realize why this work was rarely played. It’s not difficult enough.
So this work really demands a passionate champion with the ability to radiate emotions and the renown to attract audience. Is Maisky the one? I’m not really a Maisky fan but I must admit his rock solid tone is hard to resist. It’s not hard to be convinced that under his hands, this music needn’t be spiced up. The second movement is almost twice the duration of the first. The second movement is essentially two movements rolled into one, a moderato followed by an allegro, thus completing the journey from slow to fast. In terms of composition, Myaskovsky managed to use more or less the same material throughout but that might make the work less appealing to most people.
Conversely, Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante (tracks 1-3) is relatively often played. There are quite a number of recordings but I have yet to hear it live. Under the urgings of Rostropovich Prokofiev stepped up the technical difficulties. They might be too hard back then but now we can see they sit very well with soloists and audience alike. The title somehow pinpointed the fact that this is no ordinary concerto. Two 10-minute outer movements sandwich a huge second movement with a rhapsody structure or non-structure. Such a colossal work reminded me of Prokofiev’s underrated Sixth Symphony. After hearing Maisky’s rendition I still can’t say I got this concerto under my skin so I better refrain from commenting on Maisky’s playing.