Mendelssohn: String Quintets Nos. 1 & 2
Bartholdy-Quintett (C-Avi Music)
(scroll down for English review)
我應該未見過有常設的弦樂五重奏，此類曲目多數是固定的弦樂四重奏加一名中提手去奏。這隊巴托弟五重奏，以孟德爾遜母親的姓命名，他們當初就是為了演奏兩首孟德爾遜弦樂五重奏走在一起，時隔十年就把這套曲目錄下。
值得一提，其中一名中提琴手Volker Jacobsen是阿提密斯弦樂四重奏的創團成員，另一位中提琴手Barbara Westphal是他老師，而Westphal這個姓氏又是一個顯赫的德國弦樂世家……這團的小提琴及中提琴都不分第一及第二，他們在兩曲就做了輪替。
回到樂曲本身，我們聽孟德爾遜的室樂基本上局限在《弦樂八重奏》及《A小調弦樂四重奏》，但孟德爾遜寫了不少室樂，不過就算你想試聽，很快就會發覺它們遠不及這兩曲。我以為兩首弦樂五重奏也是這樣，但一開始聽《第一弦樂五重奏》（軌一至四）已經開始懷疑自己。孟德爾遜對樂手的技術要求，比起之前的莫扎特，及之後的布拉姆斯的同類兩曲為高，想拉得好真的要當成主要曲目去細心學習及排練，可能就令很多人卻步，巴托弟五重奏在《第一弦樂五重奏》的炫技，奏出樂曲所需的輕巧及精密，即使我還未信服它是傑作，但足以和莫扎特及布拉姆斯的弦樂五重奏齊名。
去到《第二弦樂五重奏》（軌六至九）我就完全投降，真的承認它是及得上《弦樂八重奏》及《A小調弦樂四重奏》的傳世力作，第一樂章的無窮熱力如交響曲兇猛，第一小提琴高吭的旋律痛快淋灕。第三樂章（慢板）本來我有點保留，好像找不到方向，但到鋪排好材料後開始向高潮進發，我是想不到早期浪漫派的室樂可以爆發得如此激昂。 軌五及十是兩曲各自的一個樂章初稿。這幾個月在這個C-Avi品牌聽了很多好東西。
I haven’t heard of a stable string quintet, the usual habit is for a string quartet to get a guest violist for such repertoire. Named after the “other” surname of Mendelssohn, this ensemble first came together for a performance of the Mendelssohn string quintets. Ten years after they recorded these works.
Violist Volker Jacobsen was a founding member of the Artemis Quartet, and the other violist Barbara Westphal was his teacher. And the name Westphal was a respected clan in German string playing… The violists and the violinists of this quintet rotated their chairs, so I wasn’t referring them as first or second. This recording was also made with such arrangement.
Although Mendelssohn left substantial amount of chamber music, we mostly confine ourselves to the String Octet or the A Minor String Quartet. Still, much as I would like to explore, the other works usually prove to be of a lower caliber. But I started to doubt myself while listening to the first movement of the First String Quintet (tracks 1-4). Mendelssohn’s technical demands were higher than the Mozart quintets and also tougher than the Brahms quintets that came after Mendelssohn. They require the same dedication in major repertoire or you wouldn’t play them well. The Bartholdy Quintett’s rendition was done with much agility and precision. Although I wouldn’t call the First String Quintet an immortal work, it is already worthy of the Mozart and Brahms quintets.
I gave in to the Second String Quintet (tracks 6-9), which should belong to the class of the String Octet and A Minor String Quartet. The first movement was as vigorous as in a symphony, with the first violin soaring bravely above the stormy texture. The adagio (third movement) I found to be lacking direction at first, but after the basic material were laid out Mendelssohn brought the music to a crushing climax which I hadn’t thought existed in early romantic chamber music.
Tracks 5 and 10 are alternative movements to each of the quintets. I’ve been hearing some goodies, both in terms of the repertoire and the playing, from this C-Avi label. Surely a boutique label to watch.