Durante: Concertos (Concerto Köln)

我相信許多聽古典樂的朋友，甚至有在聽巴洛克音樂的朋友，可能對Francesco Durante這個人都會是相當陌生的名字。Durante是生於1684，逝於1755的一位義大利作曲家。他的名字與音樂今天多數人已將它遺忘掉了， 不過他在世的時候，在Naples的音樂界裡算是一位相當有名氣的老師，其中最有名的學生莫過於Pergolesi。



Naples(拿坡里)一城在西方古典樂擔任重要的角色，事實上在更早就開始了。不過在十六世紀中的時候，有許多conservatorii被成立。當初conservatorii 的成立，其實只是收容無家可歸的孤兒，扮演conserve(保護)的功能。為了使這些孤兒們有一技之長，conservatorii還會教這幼童學習不同的專長。隨著音樂在義大利的盛行，這些conservatory漸漸轉向全程教音樂。日後英文音樂院conservatory就是由這個典故來的。

推廣Neapolitan School of Music的最大功臣，莫過於大史卡拉弟Alessandro Scarlatti。將音樂形式擺在至高無上的位子，與合聲的寫作變得更成熟，也為日後Haydn和Mozart的古典樂派奠定下重要的基楚。

這 張Durante的唱片中，錄有八首他的四聲部弦樂協奏曲，以及一首大鍵琴協奏曲。Durante音樂豔麗的義大利式風格很明顯，尤其是第八首協奏曲 ，有"La Pazzia" 「瘋狂」的標題，在第一樂章中就有許多明顯的速度變化，來刻畫出平靜與發瘋的不同心境。表演的樂團為Concerto Köln，有別於有名的科隆古樂團(Musica Antiqua Köln)，不過他們在音樂中所帶來的能量，不亞於他們的前輩們。在這錄音中，各弦樂聲部都有足夠的穿透力，但合奏起來時一致性也很高。在眾多的CD當 中，我非常高興地歡迎這張新成員。

上傳La Pazzia的第一樂章至youtube，可點閱下面的連結。


This is a recent 2CD set I picked up lately. Deep in my heart, I'm an avid collector, and I like to have a complete set of anything if possible. This set of Durante's concertos is no different.

I first came across this composer Francesco Durante on a different CD of mine, which featured 3 of the concertos on this disc. Durante was born in 1684, one year before Bach, in a town near Naples. Not much of his early life is really known, but the most important contribution that he had on the music scene was that of a teacher and a church music composer. Of the conservatories in Naples, he has taught at three of them, Pergolesi being perhaps one of his most famous students. It would not be too much to say that he had a prominent role in keeping the Neapolitan School of Music as one of the major hubs of European classical music during his time.

This set includes 8 "Concerti per quartetto" and his harpsichord concerto, a rarity considering that Italian music focused on string playing. Most interesting is probably the 8th concerto, titled "La Pazzia," or "insanity, craziness." This concerto is marked by very contrasting tempi changes to portray the violent mood swings. Concerto Köln play the concertos with alot of energy and life, providing rarely a bare movement. This is the first recording I own played by them, and I must say I am very pleased. Their playing is very transparent but yet provide a good ensemble sound, a must for Baroque music playing.

First movement of the last concerto "La Pazzia" attached below.  Pretty striking indeed.