Richard Egarr
01/29/2012
Masters of the English Baroque
Richard Egarr, harpsichord and conductor
HANDEL: Symphony from Saul
LOCKE: Music from The Tempest
PURCELL: Suite from The Fairy Queen
ARNE: Concerto for Harpsichord No. 5 in G minor
LAWES: String Consort à 6
HANDEL: Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No. 5 in D minor, HWV 316
HANDEL: “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” from Solomon
就在Biondi的音樂會兩天後，知名的英國大鍵琴家Richard Egarr又在灣區了。他先客座指揮灣區的Philharmonia Baroque樂團，然後之後會到敝校開獨奏會，彈巴哈完整的第一冊平均律。就曲目本身，我其實對PBO這場音樂會更感興趣。畢竟，何時會聽到一晚清一色英國巴洛克作曲家的音樂？
因為錯過了前幾天我家旁邊音樂廳的演出，所以這一天只好不厭其煩，再度開到Berkeley，到Biondi兩天前表演的同一個教堂。臨時打給了之前的室友，看他想不想同行。他居然很爽快地答應了，也讓我這次開上去有個伴。因為是PBO的音樂會，學生票的票價可是便宜了五倍之多，而且我們更是被安排坐在第三排，真是爽翻了。
週日到Berkeley聽音樂會發現遇到了一個很現實的問題：找停車位。跟週五晚不一樣，學生都出去玩了，週日大家可是都回來，準備第二天週一要上課。路邊免錢的尋不得，最後只好去地下停車場乖乖繳錢。也因為這樣，所以Handel第一首錯過了。
上半場剩下的兩首，我覺得是這場音樂會最精彩的部份。而Egarr，也在表演這些曲子前，都很細心地，而且很風趣地，花時間為觀眾介紹這些音樂。The Tempest，當然是根劇沙翁有名的戲劇。早在貝多芬的「暴風雨」奏鳴曲，柴可夫斯基的交響詩，西貝流士的管絃樂組曲之前，英國巴洛克作曲家Matthew Locke就已經其寫過配樂了。英國在十七世紀中期，王政復辟(Restoration)的君主Charles二世愛好音樂，不但學了法國的路易十四，成立了自己的二十四把提琴手，英國也展開一段「尊法」的音樂歷史。Locke和Purcell的這些管絃樂的曲風，也都以法式的舞曲為主。
Locke的Tempest音樂，其實最有意思的，是舞曲以外的Curtain Tune以及最後一首Canon 4 in 2。Curtain Tune，想必是要等幕升起前時演奏的音樂，好比今天百佬會舞台劇的開場音樂。它的前衛在於它的戲劇性，算是英國音樂史上首度在譜上明確標示大小聲記號以及速度快慢，而且在某些地方甚至還寫上生動的形容詞，如「激烈」，以形容那狂風暴雨。Canon 4 in 2，則是四聲部，兩兩配對的卡農，第一小提琴配低音部，第二小提琴配中提琴，兩對各玩各的旋律，是個相當有趣的創作手法。要不是Egarr先前提醒，八成以上的觀眾可能第一時間不一定聽得出來。
Purcell的Fairy Queen歌劇我並不熟。這些器樂曲也是從歌劇中挑選出來的。而在Egarr帶領下的PBO，演奏活潑生動。離樂團不到十公尺的我們，更是感到空氣中音樂的能量。而組曲裡最後的Chaconne，為上半場帶來精彩的結尾。事後和灣區有名的古中提琴John Dornenburg聊，他對Egarr所編排的Fairy Queen音樂大有意見，覺得是將曲子隨便拼拼湊湊，穿插得沒一點主題。當然，John雖然極有意見，但說話夠份量，因為這些曲子他都親自參與演出。果然，是「內行人看門道，外行人看熱鬧」。
回家後發現，上半場表演的Locke和Purcell的音樂，我都有錄音，但很顯然地，之前都沒有仔細認真聽，說來慚愧。不過話說回來，這是我記憶中，第一次那麼欣賞英國巴洛克音樂的演出。
上半場真的是高潮，因為下半場不論是音樂和表演都是差強人意。Thomas Arne是英國晚期巴洛克的作曲家，寫了六首鍵盤協奏曲，今天他們表演的是第五首。雖然獨奏有些炫的雙手交插的橋段，很像小Scarlatti的奏鳴曲，不過嚴格來說，它並不是最有意思的音樂。Egarr是當今最厲害的大鍵琴家之一，這些部份當然難不倒他。而且，他的即興能力更是優秀，在第二樂章結束，第三樂章開始前，來了一段很長的自我即興片段。說長，是因為出現不只一次「假動作」，樂團成員幾度以為要進來了，但發現被「騙」。基本上，看到古典音樂家有即興的能力，是很難得而且很過癮的事，因為當今正統訓練出來的，大多照著譜上的音彈。真正能夠自由發揮的，畢竟是少數。
不過，Egarr在獨奏的部份，我並不全然滿意。雖然他也曾是祖師爺雷翁哈特的學生之一，但是Egarr對於樂句的修飾，不像荷蘭派的那麼講究。很多地方，我甚至覺得他有點草率。畢竟，他的技巧不在話下，他要彈多快，根本不是問題。不過，有時候就這樣彈過去，沒辦法突顯出音樂中的重點。其實Egarr 2006時就來過敝校表演過巴哈的郭德堡變奏曲，而且當時我也有去聽過。結果其實是失望的，因為他幾乎沒有斷句，整場聽起來平淡無奇。Arne這首協奏曲有那麼一點讓我回想到當時的情景，不過好在只有短暫的片刻。
Lawes的六聲部Consort Sett，才是真正「傳統」的英式音樂。理論上，這些曲子應該要用viol演奏才是，所以PBO用提琴表演，是有點折中的做法。英國早期的曲風，是從文藝復興時期延續下來的。而Lawes的曲風，更是以不和諧音聞名。習慣晚期巴洛克順耳的人，Lawes的音樂就會顯得相對前衛以及不自然。我前室友自然是不大能接受，不過在我聽來，可是甘之如飴 :) 就跟我之前說的，有多少機會聽到Lawes的音樂的現場表演？
最後的兩首，是之後取得英國公民的韓德爾的音樂。說實在，音樂會到了這裡對我是走下坡的。Egarr和Academy of Ancient Music也錄過韓德爾作品三的大協奏曲，但整體表現我是覺得普普。這一天的PBO的現場，也只讓我覺得比手邊的錄音好一些些而已。基本上，我聽過了Minkowski的版本之後，剩下的都相形失色。
而世界名曲Arrival of the Queen of Sheba，更是讓人搖頭，因為兩位吹雙簧管的，實在水準有待加強。除了氣不足，音還常常吹不準。John Dornenburg說兩位他都認識，也都是好人，但跟歐洲的音樂的水準還是相差一大截。而這首名曲，雙簧管的戲份那麼重，出這樣大的包，我當然不能接受。
不過，儘管這樣，我這個「古樂追星族」，是期待再和Egarr留影的機會。Egarr是個極為友善而且健談的音樂家，跟我上次留下的印象一模一樣，所以要簽CD和拍照，他是一口就答應。幾年前，我不知道手邊有許多CD的錄音中居然有Egarr參與。譬如說，Egarr也曾是London Baroque這個室內樂團的成員，之前介紹過的幾個專輯中，數字低音都是他彈的。他一邊簽，說不定也是勾起他心中的某些回憶吧 ^_^
Just two days after Biondi's EG concert, I returned to very same church at Berkeley to catch Richard Egarr conducting the PBO. Days before, I missed them when they were just a few blocks away from my place. Therefore, this time I paid the price (literally) by making that dreaded drive up to the East Bay. Luckily, I called up my former roommate en route, and he was happy to join me.
One lesson learned the hard way: Sunday street parking around UC Berkeley is close to impossible. I suppose the partying kids have returned and are ready for Monday school. Eventually we settled for a parking garage (with a fee of course), but it came at missing the first piece. They way Egarr conducted the PBO in their later Handel pieces, I don't think I missed much.
The highlight of the concert for me, was the Locke and Purcell. I have a recording of Locke's incidental music to The Tempest, played by the superb Il Giardino Armonico. However, the same disc features works by Biber, and rightfully easily overshadows the Locke. Locke's music is not without merit. In fact, the Curtain Tune is such a cool piece, I wonder why I didn't pay more attention to it earlier. It's got violent dynamic and tempo swings, and on the score, Locke literally writes "violent," to capture, yes, the storm. And to end the music, a canon 4 in 2, where there are 2 canons playing simultaneously, a clever device. Egarr was nice to take time before the Locke to explain to the audience what to look for in the music, as the canon could have been easily glossed over by the average listener.
And music from Purcell's Fairy Queen closed the first half. I also own a recording of the instrumental music of it, not the entire opera. Ashamedly, I don't think I've gone through it more than two or three times. And then there was PBO under Egarr's direction, which gave the music new life and drive. In fact, I don't think I've ever enjoyed a performance of English Baroque music so much. Most of the time they are noted for their quirks and angular writing, which is an interesting change to the usual program. But to truly enjoy the music, this was a first. Of course, Purcell was truly a great composer, and the PBO this night only consolidated this fact.
Everything went downhill after that. The second half started with an Arne keyboard concerto. Arne is one of the many late English composers such as Avison and Boyce who really don't stand out, as much as many English period ensembles try to bring to attention. His harpsichord concerto has flashes of brilliance, with hand-crossing such as the Scarlatti sonatas, but alas, it's not the best work out there. Egarr, as you can imagine, has no problem playing any of it whatsoever. There are times though, that he merely played through the music without articulating the music enough as I would have liked more. This seems to be his overall style and musical choice, as I vividly remember his 2006 solo concert at my school where he played the Goldberg Variations very legato-esque. Needless to say, I was not impressed, and later on I was surprised to discover that he was a pupil of Leonhardt, where phrasing and articulation is arguably the most stressed component of his teaching and playing.
Small quibbles aside, Egarr is an AMAZING continuo player and improviser on the keyboard. His partnerships with Andrew Manze showcase those abilities to the fullest scale. And on this day, he would display that between the 2nd and 3rd movements of the Arne concerto, where he does his on bit of ad libitum, and he goes for quite a bit. In fact, it really feels that he's having his fun and creative moment out there. Multiple times, the players wasn't sure if they were to come in, but then with that final gesture, the orchestra's back.
Then, from late English Baroque to early English Baroque. If Locke and Purcell's music were heavily influenced by the French, Lawes is what you'd consider the "traditional English" Baroque style. The polyphonal writing is a continuation of Renaissance consort music, and Lawes's music has more signature unprepared dissonances. To the casual listener of Baroque music, Lawes sounds fairly modern. Egarr even likens Lawes's music to some of Beethoven's late string quartets, something which I actually sort of agree on. Ideally speaking, the consort sett should be played by the viol family, but PBO compromises by playing on the violin family. Hard to say if Lawes actually won over any member of the audience, but for me, chances to hear Lawes being performed live doesn't come by often.
To end the concert, Egarr really couldn't resist going back to the most famous "English" composer of all time - Handel (later naturalized, of course). However, I didn't find the concerto grosso that convincing. In fact, I have Egarr's recording of the same op.3 with AAM, and it wasn't my cup of tea. Those who have heard Minkowsk's breath-taking recording should probably not settle for anything less. I much preferred AAM under Manze for Handel's op.6.
And lastly, that famous Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Bay area gamba player John Dornenburg told me later that he felt it was throwing a bone to the audience by ending the concert with this piece. It's certainly unmistakable, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, the performance was greatly downgraded by the unpolished playing of the two oboists. Those of you who know the piece understand that the oboes have a major part in the piece, and not being on top of the game really was a disappointing end to the otherwise fascinating program. John commented that while he played in Europe, the period wind players were simply of another higher caliber. I guess here we need to settle for what we have.
After the concert, Egarr actually came out to sign CDs. As last time, I remember him to be one of the nicest persons. I also found out that besides his partnership with Manze, Egarr was also a member of the London Baroque, where they recorded a lot of Purcell and Lawes. By signing my CDs, I'm sure he probably took a brief walk down memory lane. And of course, I had him autograph his newest release of Louis Couperin's complete harpsichord works. Egarr really thinks it's the best French harpsichord music ever written. I won't necessarily agree with that, but those 4 CDs of him playing Louis Couperin is a really darn good recording....
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