Stravinsky: Capriccio, Piano Concerto, Movements
Michel Béroff (piano)
Seiji Ozawa / Orchestre de Paris (Warner)
(scroll down for English review)
又一張華納倉底的史特拉汶斯基舊錄音，三首他的鋼琴協奏曲或相同性質的樂曲，獨奏是我幾天前介紹過梅湘錄音中的Michel Béroff，指揮是年青的小澤征爾。三首樂曲不是照作曲年份順序，不過頭兩曲都是1920年代，也是史氏寫來給自己在音樂會中彈奏。
《隨想曲》（軌一至三）是史氏重要作品《詩篇交響曲》前的作品，是他汲取了幾年前的《鋼琴協奏曲》的經驗後再寫協奏曲，一種新古典主義特徵可在弦樂找到，像意大利巴洛克協奏曲分了concertino及ripieno，前者是獨奏，後者是齊奏，但老實說我又聽不出當中效果。相比《鋼琴協奏曲》，《隨想曲》寫得比較精緻及流暢，有時像浦朗克多過像史特拉汶斯基，歡樂的感覺是歡暢，不同於《鋼琴協奏曲》的搗蛋。
《鋼琴協奏曲》（軌四至六）的特色是樂隊只有管樂及低音大提琴，鋼琴的演奏特質也較為敲擊，但以樂曲的氣氛來說，我不認為敲擊式鋼琴有甚麼不妥。我反而欣賞此曲比《隨想曲》更為直接明快，我雖然說《隨想曲》是流暢，但也有點扭來扭去，為扭而扭。此外《鋼琴協奏曲》較少巴洛克或古典味，反而較接近《大兵的故事》。我也很欣賞史氏把華彩段放在第二樂章（緩板），其實兩首協奏曲的慢板我都覺得不錯。
最後的《給鋼琴及樂隊的五個樂章》則是史氏晚年作品，於1959年完成，當時的他正擁抱在二戰後成為前衛音樂主流的序列主義，五個樂章一共不過十分鐘，而且採用了魏本式的點描主義。我相信這曲是最趕客的一首，但我記得二十年前初聽已能接受，今天連續聽完《隨想曲》及《鋼琴協奏曲》後聽，更能欣賞史氏即使採用不同的作曲技法，風格其實還是自己。我覺得《五個樂章》才是真正的有話直說，而且當中也有易於識別的感情。
Another Warner digital reissue of Stravinsky recordings, with Stravinsky’s three piano concertante works played by Michel Béroff and conducted by the young Seiji Ozawa. Though not laid out in chronological order, the first two pieces Capriccio and Piano Concerto were both written in Stravinsky’s neo-classical period of the 1920s.
Capriccio (tracks 1-3) was the work preceding the seminal Symphony of the Psalms. Stravinsky seemed to have learnt from his experience in the Piano Concerto and found ways to overcome any defects. A neo-classical aspect could be found in the strings, which were divided into concertino and ripieno like in an Italian baroque concerto, but frankly I couldn’t hear the difference. Compared to the Piano Concerto, Capriccio was suave and refined, more like Poulenc than Stravinsky. Its joyful mood was slightly different than the mischievousness of the Piano Concerto.
The Piano Concerto (tracks 4-6) had an orchestra of only winds and basses, the piano part was dominantly percussionistic, but given the mood of the piece I don’t find any fault with that. I just said the Capriccio was suave but it nonetheless went through too many twists and I preferred the directness of the Piano Concerto. And its (Concerto) style was closer to A Soldier’s Tale than to neoclassicism. I also liked Stravinsky placing the cadenza in the Lento (track 5). Indeed I found the slow movements of both concerti rather delightful.
Movements (tracks 7-11) was a late work (1959) by the serial convert Stravinsky. Five movements but less than 10 minutes in total, the ghost of Webern could be felt. This piece might turn you off but it really spoke to me. It was precisely having heard Capriccio and Piano Concerto that I truly saw Stravinsky retaining his voice despite using a different language. This work is truly concise and expressive.