Concert: Dorothee Oberlinger et al (04/16/2011)

 桃園縣政府文化局演藝廳

Taoyuan County Cultural Affairs Bureau Concert Hall

04/16/2011

Castello: Sonata Seconda from Libro II
Pandolfi : Sonata Op.3 No.4  "La Castella"
Kapsberger: Toccata + Galiarda for lute
Sammartini: Sonata Op.13 No.4 in G major
Handel: Recorder Sonata HWV 367a in D minor

Marais: "La Folia" excerpts arr. for solo recorder
F. Couperin: Le Rossignol en Amour
Vivaldi: Cello Sonata RV 44 in A minor
Corelli: Op.5 No.12 "La Folia" in D minor arr. for solo recorder

Dorothee Oberlinger / recorders
Luise Buchberger / cello
Andre Henrich / lute

這場音樂會是早在回台灣之前，就已受Mingus兄之邀，請他在台灣先代為買好票。可見，就連我回台灣時，古樂的活動仍持續中~~~~

Oberlinger的音樂會，4/15 - 4/17連著三天在新竹，桃園，台中，表演相同的曲目。雖自己為新竹人，為了配合Mingus兄的行程和時間，所以也選擇去聽桃園那一場。場地是桃園縣政府文化局演藝廳，和另一個展演中心，以及中壢的館都不同。其實，就連當地的桃園人都對此廳都不大熟悉。這是我跳上計程車，趕去音樂會時的深刻體悟。要不是有Mingus兄當場的指示，我自己可能就被帶到別處了 ~~~~

平時在台灣的台北還有新竹之間兩邊跑，要嘛坐客運，不然就是奢侈地搭高鐵，反而正港的台鐵是幾乎不坐的。但桃園縣政府在火車站旁，搭高鐵過去簡直是給自己多找麻煩。這次音樂會的機會，讓自己好好重溫坐火車的感覺，倒也沒什麼不好。

儘管搭了最快的自強號，又搭上計程車，但仍然沒能趕上音樂會開頭。前面兩首Castello還有Pandolfi (Mealli)早期的單樂章奏鳴曲未能聽到，只能透過外面的電視轉播。Castello的那首雖然有錄音但不熟，而且那種早期的Fantastic Style有時旋律感不強。Pandolfi那一首，倒是我相當有印象的一首，因為仿即興結束後的一段，是極其優美的Ciaconna。雖然已經習慣這首應當是要給小提琴拉的，但Oberlinger用木笛吹奏，卻有她的韻味。應該說，她有抓到這個Fantastic Style的精髓，掌握到音樂的進行的步調，何時該緩，何時該急，拿捏得很棒。Ciaconna的部份，小提琴可仰賴它滑順飽滿的音色，就足以使人信服；Oberlinger的直笛下，則是編織出另一種斷句更鮮明，變化更豐富的表演。不知道Pandolfi是何許人也的人，甚至可能會誤以為他這首奏鳴曲當初是為直笛所寫的吧～～

Sammartini還有Handel的兩首奏鳴曲，則是巴洛克晚期晚期義大利鳴曲形式。Sammartini的是典型 慢-快-慢-快 四樂章，而Handel的則較不按理出牌，有七個樂章，更俱創意和點子。Sammartini這首引起我的注意的地方，不是Oberlinger的表現，而是伴奏群Buchberger還有Henrich在快樂章裡，因為有一些有趣的合聲變化而突然短暫地活起來了。在這之前，他們像是默默地躲在黑暗角落的推手，不高調也不邀功。短短的幾分鐘裡，似乎第一次感覺到他們和Oberlinger一樣享受製造音樂的快樂，跳脫傳統伴奏的角色，平起平坐。

只是這種氣氛沒有持續下去。到了Handel，他們大多又退居幕後，讓Oberlinger再度變成全場的焦點。Handel的快樂章裡，數字低音都有幾段相當有看頭的地方，Buchberger的大提琴無間段，不然就是對位時候呼應Oberlinger高音部份。只是，Henrich做為和絃樂器，並沒有抓住機會，製造出讓人意外的效果，彈奏方式格外安份。

下半場則是Oberlinger完全展現直笛技巧的部份。如果大家對於直笛的印象只停留在小學音樂課時大家被迫吹著便宜的塑膠直笛，那下半場的曲子鐵定會讓你大大稱奇和改觀。Marais給gamba的La Folia，被改編成簡短的直笛版，挑戰絕對沒有比較少。Gamba如果可以拉和絃，那直笛只能很快地用琵音製造出同樣的效果。要接近曲子的尾聲時，變奏曲一個比一個炫，猶如狂風暴雨襲捲而來。而Oberlinger，從沒亂過陣腳，許多快速重覆的音，各各發音清楚，正常音還有舌音的切換更是游刃有餘，漂亮至極。

有趣的橋段，是Marais和Couperin的夜鶯中間，沒有間段。Oberlinger吹出尾音時，繼續延長，同時由Henrich立刻彈著lute走進場。這種演出手法，我只有在大學時聽Il Giardino Armonico的音樂會時有看過，是舞台效果十足的做法。Couperin的「戀愛中的夜鶯」，來自他大鍵琴曲裡的第十四冊，改編給直笛，再適合不過，尤其是最後面仿鳥叫的部份，直笛更逼真，更勝過大鍵琴的顫音。

Corelli的La Folia拿來當做音樂會最後一首曲子，實在是完美的安排。如果Marais的簡短版是個好的暖身，那Corelli的完整版就是大展身手，不再有任何保留了。Corelli的每組變奏曲皆有反覆，而屬於較為新生代的Oberlinger，不是死板地「再來一遍」。即興本領，是新的古樂音樂家多多少少要會的能力，而Oberlinger一聽就是相當有經驗的，在反覆時所加的東西，頓時使音樂脫胎換骨。譜雖是Corelli所寫，但演奏出來時，音樂卻是屬於Oberlinger自己的，別人無法取代。接近尾聲時，伴奏群又開始又有點起色，被Oberlinger歡樂的氣氛所感染，但似乎來得有些遲。這天的主角，沒有他人，就是Oberlinger。

穿插在Oberlinger曲子中，有給魯特琴的Kapsberger曲子，以及我最喜歡的Vivaldi大提琴奏鳴曲。但舞台留給Henrich，他的表現卻過於嚴謹，完完全全只是個間奏。Buchberger的Vivaldi其實拉得還不錯，情緒上有做出一定的變化。可惜，短短的一首，倒像只是給她舒展一下筋骨，讓她暫時可以不用看數字低音。

謝幕時，觀眾的掌聲，成功地留住了他們，大方地為我們表演兩首安可曲。第一首是Vivaldi的其中一首奏鳴曲的慢樂章。不過更有趣的是第二首，是英國民謠Paul's Steeple (又叫Duke of Norfolk)，在英國巴洛克的小提琴還有長笛教學法裡，都有收錄的，並寫出division變奏曲。由於當下Mingus和我都對此不熟悉，所以事後簽名拍照時，還特地詳細地問了一次。

以直笛為主的音樂會，這是我第一次的經驗，卻意外的滿意。與其說是選擇的曲目，更重要的是Oberlinger的個人表演風格。她的活力，火花，以及熱情，讓我印象極為深刻。能夠這樣獨霸舞台，只記得同門的學弟，今天已成為職業音樂家的Mahan Esfahani回美國表演Bach的BWV 910 - 916的觸技曲時有那種氣勢。

最後，另外幾點有趣的觀察補充：
(1) 桃園縣政府文化局演藝廳音效相當不錯。原本以為聲音會很虛，結果直笛的穿透力相當好，讓我相當意外。
(2) 像Mingus和我專程來聽的死忠古樂迷似乎不多。放眼望去，大多是在吹直笛的小孩子，由老師或是父母帶過來聽的。不知道聽了Oberlinger的演出，有沒有任何的啟發？
(3) 音樂會後，主辦單位在外面很自然地在外面開始賣起CD來，和在美國沒啥兩樣。主辦單位還規劃出了簽名動線，算是貼切又有效率的安排。
(4) Oberlinger的英文，德文腔很重，甚至可以說是很可愛。「照相」一詞在德文是 photomachen，英文直接翻也就是make photo。因此她不斷地和拍照的小孩子講話時都說要make photo。這像是台灣人在美國要洗照片，可能會脫口說出wash film應該是一樣的道理吧~~~
(5) 在現場須購買的曲目單的資料有些錯誤，是事後和Mingus兄校對時發現的。其中，Vivaldi的大提琴奏鳴曲為RV 44，不是RV43。另外，Sammartini的奏鳴曲應該是作品13，而不是作品1 。這些應是編輯還有校訂人員的若干小疏失。

Musicians from left to right: Buchberger, Oberlinger, and Henrich

If I had to sum up Oberlinger's recorder performance in one (two) words, it would have to be "kick-ass."

I think I have developed a very particular taste for recorder music, meaning it has to fall within a more or less specific music genre.  The two main ones are late baroque sonatas and concertos.  Late renaissance / early Baroque such as the Frescobaldi canzonas or dance music can sound interesting at first, but quickly take its toll.         

Luckily, Oberlinger's program more or less falls within my preferred music.   The opening Castello and Pandolfi sonatas are usually played on the violin, so I was more reluctant to receive them on the recorder at first.  If Castello's sonata in the early stylus fantasticus suffers from a clear theme, the Pandolfi sonata had none of that.  In fact, it's one of my favorite sonatas of his set of op.3 and op.4.  Oberlinger's playing was a real treat.  If a plain smooth warm violin tone can be convincing enough in the ciaconna section alone, Oberlinger chooses a different approach on the recorder.  More articulated, visually and musically animated, her dramatic reading could have fooled the uninformed into thinking that the piece was written for the recorder in mind.  More importantly, she conveyed the rhapsodic stylus fantasticus feel on the recorder equally, if not better.

The Sammartini and Handel sonatas fall within the late Baroque sonata genre, Handel being the superior composer of course, exhibiting more compositional devices.  However, the Sammartini piece deserves some honorable mention, as it was the first time that the continuo group briefly came to life, being more restrained and modest before.  I use the term "briefly," because by the time Handel came around, they sort of retracted back into their safe mode.  

The second half program was much shorter than the first.  It started with a solo recorder abbreviated transcription of Marais's grand La Folia.  Here Oberlinger flexes her technical prowess, as each variation becomes decidedly faster and more virtuosic.   She never seems to be caught off guard, completely at ease with runs and repeated notes, crisply tonguing and articulating each note beautifully.  The final note is sustained, to which Henrich walks in with the lute accompaniment,  transitioning directly without pause into Couperin's "Nightingale in Love."  Not since Il Giardino Armonico's concert a decade ago did I witness such an arrangement.          

Ending with Corelli's La Folia is always a safe bet.  In fact, Manze and the English Concert played Geminiani's concerto grosso version in their concert a while back.  And why not?  It's a catchy tune, loads of fun, and builds up energy up until the final cadence.  Repeating each variation also gives Oberlinger the chance for improvisation, an opportunity she never lets up.  The result is a fresh, unique, and personal account of the famous variations by Oberlinger. 

The spotlight was temporarily given to Henrich for two Kapsberger pieces and Buchberger for Vivaldi's cello sonata.  However, Henrich struck me as a very precise and careful player, too meticulous in fact, that the audience was never let in on the music.  Buchberger had more fun with her piece, which happens to be my favorite Vivaldi cello sonata.  However, the star of the show was undoubtedly Oberlinger, and she really did deliver. 

After the regular program, they were gracious to play two encores, the first being a slow movement of a Vivaldi sonata.   The second was far more interesting, if by interesting we mean less commonly heard.   The piece was called Paul's Steeple, a popular English folk tune, which was used in both in English violin and flute instructional methods "The division violin" and "The division flute."  For a brief moment, you were transported to a Renaissance English tavern, where loud boisterous singing and dancing was happening.  

An early music concert based upon a recorder generally doesn't catch my eye.  However, I'm glad that I attended this Oberlinger concert.   It's musicians like her that revamp early music and give it a good name.  Boring and somber?  Please.....   You really ain't heard nothing yet !