Corelli Concerti Grossi Op.6 (The Brandenburg Consort / Roy Goodman)

最近想聽聽知名度比較大，但又不是過於熱門的音樂，於是將科賴里(柯瑞里)(Corelli)(1653-1713)的作品六大協奏曲集(Concerti Grossi)拿出來複習。


簡短帶過他的生平：

科賴里(柯瑞里)出生於Fusignano，但他在波隆拿(Bologna)以及羅馬學習音樂的，並在小提琴上展現出過人的天份。他在1672年，十九歲的時候，在巴黎的演出受到世人的肯定，從此奠定了他在音樂圈的地位。

1675年起，他開始在羅馬發展，成為當時羅馬音樂圈最出色的小提琴家之一。1679開始，他成為退位的克里斯蒂娜瑞典女王(Christina Alexandra)旗下贊助的音樂家。Christina退位後，便在法國和羅馬一帶遊走，招攬年輕有潛力的音樂家。他的作品一室內三重奏鳴曲，便是獻給她的。Corelli後來的贊助者分別為主教Benedetto Pamphili，以及主教Pietro Ottoboni。Pietro Ottoboni相當賞識Corelli，使得Corelli接下來一生可以不為錢煩惱而全心全力投入音樂的工作。

Corelli除了是出色的小提琴家以及作曲家是不用說，他同時也是為名師。他教過的學生無數，都將他的小提琴技巧和音樂風格推廣至全歐洲。他出版的曲子並不多，只有六部作品，但它們被出版的驚人數量，在當時是無人能及的。後來海頓的出現，才製造出同樣的炫風。他的奏鳴曲是當時歐洲最受歡迎的室內樂。而他的大協奏曲，在英國風行了近一世紀，在那兒掀起了大協奏曲風潮。Corelli可以說是17世紀末以及18世紀初，歐洲音樂界裡最有影響力的音樂家之一。另外，Corelli雖然在小提琴擁有精湛的技巧，但他的作品並不去特別挑戰音樂家的技巧。反而，他注重琴的音色的漂亮，樂句的表現，以及合聲時聲部的均勻比重。這些特質，也成為之後18世紀古典樂派所強調的。

Corelli在協奏曲上的貢獻，無疑是在「大協奏曲」一詞。大協奏曲的形式其實早在之前的Stradella就已經用過了，而「Concerti Grossi」一詞也被Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori搶先出版。不過Corelli將它改進並發揚光大，今天更是這名詞的不二代言人。所謂大協奏曲，簡單地說，跟後來大家比較熟悉的獨奏樂器的協奏曲不同，而是有一個獨奏樂器群(concertino)和合奏群(ripieno)之間的對比。Corelli的獨奏樂器群，是三重奏鳴曲的延伸，用的是兩把小提琴和一把大提琴。曲式來說，Corelli跟他的作品五小提琴奏鳴曲一樣，融合了他作品一到四的「教堂奏鳴曲(sonata da chiesa)」和「室內奏鳴曲(sonata da camera)」兩種形式，前八首是da chiesa教堂形式，而後四首是da camera室內形式。其中，作品六的第八首協奏曲有個暱稱叫「聖誕協奏曲」，是Corelli的名曲之一，最後一樂章Pastorale ad libitum寧靜安詳的田園風，更是象徵著耶蘇的誕生。

我生平聽的第一首大協奏曲，是小學懞懂無知時聽韓德爾的幾首作品六協奏曲。不過認真接觸，則是高中時買的Corelli大協奏曲，由Sir Neville Marriner(馬利納)指揮聖馬丁管絃樂團。那是個現代樂器版，是安全中庸的錄音，不過更重要的是讓我好好認識Corelli的音樂。

上了研究所，大量接觸巴洛克音樂，開始偏向古樂器演奏，決定買一個古樂版本。這兩張由Roy Goodman成立並領軍的Brandenburg Consort，是那個時候買的。Brandenburg Consort是英國的樂團，錄過韓德爾，巴哈，科賴里等的管絃樂作品。他們採取的是小編制，輕快有活力，樂句表現很有方向性。而concertino的小提琴也適時地加入裝飾音，是個相當有創意的詮釋方法。Goodman的小陣容，有種穿透力，是我很欣賞的一種味道。

不過，最讓我回味無窮的，還是Corelli的音樂本身。Corelli的個人風格非常明顯，樂句圓滑柔順，而且還有他的招牌終止式(cadence)的掛留(suspension)以及先現音(anticipation)所產生出來的短暫不和諧感。大協奏曲裡，就屬他的和韓德爾的最為出色，印象最鮮明，不是沒道理的。

Decided to review (in both respects) Corelli's beloved Op.6 Concerti Grossi. Corelli was not the first to invent the concerti grossi form, nor was he credited for being the first to coin the term, but he is probably most monumental in establishing it as a leading form of music. Its popularity persisted in England long into the Classical era, with many other composers trying to compose this genre, the most successful composer being Handel of course.

Since there is no shortage of Corelli's biography, I'm going to cut to the chase about the music and recording itself.  My first exposure to the concerto grosso was a selection of Handel's op.6, played by an unknown group and unknown label which I have no recollection of anymore.  My first complete concerti grossi set that I bought was in high school when I bought Corelli's op.6 set of concertos.   (Technically the first set was Geminiani's arrangement of Corelli's op.5)  It was a set recorded by Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields directed by Sir Neville Marriner.  As a modern instrument performance, it was overall a solid and consistent rendition, but more importantly, introduced me to Corelli's music in general.

As my appetite for early music grew rapidly, I started to prefer period performances, and I set out to purchase period performances of Corelli's op.6.  I have since bought 3 more additional recordings of it, but this version by the Brandenburg Consort is my first period performance, and upon listening to it again, it has continued to delight me in ways.

The principal reason is probably the music itself.  Corelli's music has a distinct unmistakable personal style, and I mean it in a positive way.  Corelli generally avoids the virtuosic violin writing certain Italian or German composers have done so often.  Instead, his musical line is smooth and melodic, in tune with the modern aesthetics of how we perceive beautiful music to be.  His trademark "Corelli cadence" and other elements can be predictable at times, but it does not bother me quite so much.

As for the playing, Goodman and the Brandenburg Consort go for a smaller ensemble and play on the brisker side.  It is a light but considerably lively interpretation, which is contrastingly different from the sound that Banchini and her big Ensemble 415 produce, another recording which I own and equally enjoy.  Goodman and Brandenburg Consort are vivacious but in a refined manner, and they do manage to sneak in some ornamentations on repeats.  Their playing might not be as spontaneous as Biondi's Europa Galante, but they have a richer and cleaner tone that makes them hold their own against a great competition out there.