R.Strauss: Burleske, Serenade, Death and Transfiguration
Nelson Goerner (piano)
Mikko Franck / Radio France Philharmonic (Alpha)
(scroll down for English review)
想不到一個月內又有另一個理察史特勞斯《詼諧曲》錄音，不過這次我也不是為了這曲而聽，而是為了指揮法朗克，這張全史特勞斯的配搭有點特別，其餘兩曲是《管樂小夜曲》及《死亡和變容》，樂隊為法國電台愛樂。
和上次的薩馬尤相似，Goerner也是自信滿滿的帶出《詼諧曲》（軌一）的炫技，不過抒情部分就沒薩馬尤有味道。至於樂隊，法朗克沒有帕帕諾那麼火氣十足，但卻將樂隊調得較有條理，而去到後段法朗克反而營造出一種帕帕諾稍欠的窒息感覺，要由鋼琴去化解。
《管樂小夜曲》（軌二）多數一般樂迷忽略，一般指揮也很少指，除非對管樂有特別感情，例如迪華特。年青的史特勞斯當然寫了不少管樂作品，此曲最為精闢，直逼莫扎特同類作品，七八分鐘之間就做得出閑適及衝突，而且點到即止。
這碟奏得最傑出還是軌三的《死亡和變容》，法朗克一開始便已對和聲部分非常注重，所以聽得到不只是旋律，而是有更多聲部的互動。重點還是在變容部分，法朗克並不是一心大聲，他注重是弦樂發音的綿延，我想是因為如此才能奏出這麼飽滿，異常光亮而不是吵耳的變容。
Less than a month after Chamayou and Pappano’s recording here’s another disc with the Strauss Burleske (track 1). I didn’t listen to this CD for the Burleske but the conductor Mikko Franck.
Similar to Chamayou, Nelson Goerner made a dazzling display of the work’s virtuosity but the lyrical passages weren’t as delightful as Chamayou. While Franck and Radio France wasn’t as fiery as Pappano and Santa Cecilia, Franck blended a finer balance with his orchestra. And he was able to push the music into a state of near suffocation that had to be resolved by the pianist.
The Wind Serenade (track 2) is a neglected item by listeners and conductors alike, and it usually takes a conductor with a woodwind background to take up this work so I was quite surprised that Franck, who had been a trained violinist, conducted it. To me this Serenade was the best of Strauss’ early works for wind ensembles. In one very concise movement there’s repose and confrontation.
But the gem of this album is Death and Transfiguration (track 3). Right from the start Franck was so attentive to the underlying harmony, so we didn’t just get the melody but the interaction of different layers. The best part is the transfiguration portion. Franck had his strings play a very steady sostenuto and perhaps that’s why this transfiguration was so luminous and satisfying.