04/06/2014
First Congregational Church, Berkeley, CA
Vivaldi's Venice
VIVALDI Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie, RV 644
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Cécile van de Sant, mezzo-soprano (Juditha)
Vivica Genaux, mezzo-soprano (Vagaus)
Diana Moore, mezzo-soprano (Holofernes)
Dominique Labelle, soprano (Abra)
Virginia Warnken, mezzo-soprano (Ozias)
Philharmonia Chorale, Bruce Lamott, Director
2014年四月，老婆終於回到灣區。Philharmonia Baroque再度有表演，便帶她去Berkeley，給了她在那兒聽音樂會的初體驗。
這場音樂會是PBO於2013－2014音樂季的最後一場表演。平時來聽音樂會的時候，空位還算不少，這次卻是座無虛席。我們是到了才臨時買票，被安排的位子是樓廳的最後面幾排。儘管如此，坐後面的聲傳仍相當好，聽音樂的體驗並不受到影響。倒是四月初，天氣已暖和，擠滿了人卻沒有空調的教堂，觀眾只有不停流汗與用節目單扇風的份。
作為音樂季最後一場音樂會，場面盛況空前。除了大編制的樂團，還有合唱團以及五位女聲樂家。這晚表演的曲目為韋瓦第今天唯一流傳至今的神劇，Juditha triumphans「友弟德的勝利」。這是來自天主教與東正教舊約聖經中的「友弟德傳」（Book of Judith），在講Holofernes率領亞述人（Assyrian）入侵猶太人的Bethulia城，情勢岌岌可危。這時，年輕貌美的寡婦友第德（Judith）深入敵營，色誘Holofernes，將他灌醉後並將頭顱斬下。失去元帥的亞述人，登時群龍無首，潰不成軍地落荒而逃。
選擇「友弟德傳」作為神劇的故事，還有另一層意義。神劇演出的1716年，威尼斯共和國與鄂圖曼帝國之間正在打仗。該年威尼斯與盟軍有幾場重要的勝利的戰役，友弟德的故事，正好在比喻了威尼斯（猶太人）打敗鄂圖曼帝國（亞述人）。
紅髮牧師寫這齣神劇時，顯然是在Ospedale della Pietà修道院任教。除了聲樂家都是女生之外，另外他所使用的樂器種類繁多，只有Pietà才會有的。完整的Juditha triumphans表演，為時三個多小時，是我參加過的PBO音樂會裡長度最長的。但是，Juditha triumphans讓人足以見識到韋瓦第的創意和多元性，而並非Stravinsky不公平且不正確的批判：「Vivaldi沒有寫五百首協奏曲，而是一首協奏曲寫了五百次。」
要一一敘述每一首詠嘆調是不實際的，在這兒只講個大概。根據劇中角色的地位與心情，韋瓦第都有不同的精心安排。位階較高的，樂團的伴奏編制較大，而地位較低的，伴奏相對單薄。而要刻繪出不同情境，韋瓦第在不同的詠嘆調都會安插不同的獨奏樂器為人聲伴奏。柔音提琴（viola d'amore）懇求對方的憐憫、theorbo與大鍵琴形容準備盛宴的下屬東奔西跑、chalumeaux（單簧管的前身）模仿斑鳩的叫聲、曼陀林奏出夜晚的寂靜、雙簧管與風琴齊奏來深情示愛、加了弱音器的弦樂唱出睡眠曲、直笛給人微風吹起的聯想、古中提琴（在當時義大利極為罕見）描寫虔誠的禱告、小號和鼓營造軍隊的士氣高昂等，如此豐富的音色，怎麼不叫人欽服？聽現場的，可看見奇特樂器的實體進場，煞是像古樂的「青少年管絃樂入門」。
詠嘆調幾乎採取當時標準的三段體（ABA）返始詠嘆調（Da Capo Aria）。A段重現時，聲樂家以及PBO的器樂家都展現出巴洛克演奏精神，適時加入自己裝飾音，加花後散發不同的風味。五位聲樂家的音質略有不同，有的純淨、有的圓潤、有的厚實，但聲音掌控都非常棒，沒有給人絲毫吃力的感覺。
裡面最搶眼的，莫過於Vivica Genaux的角色Vagaus。雖然只是個下屬，但是戲份卻比主人Holofernes還要重，僅次於主角Juditha。Vagaus有些詠嘆調裡的炫技成份，也比其他角色多。當初在修道院演唱Vagaus的女聲樂家似乎最受歡迎，使得韋瓦第將最引人注目的音樂，都寫給了她。而Vivica Genaux對炫技並不陌生（上次她和PBO一起演出時，唱的是給Farinelli的曲子），更是在唱完最後一首時，獲得滿堂喝彩。
能聽到完整的Juditha triumphans，最大的功臣理當是指揮Nicholas McGegan。他以指揮巴洛克歌劇見長，而這天總算見識到了他處理戲劇化作品的本領，「畢生難忘」四個字，絕非隨口亂提。
音樂季最後一場演出後，有個簡單的免費茶會招待各聽眾，希望未來一年繼續支持。逮到機會，和Labelle與Genaux女士們索取簽名與拍照機會。兩位皆為友善的音樂家～～
In April of 2014, my wife finally moved back to the Bay Area, permanently. When the next Philharmonia Baroque concert came up, I brought her up to Berkeley for her first concert experience at the First Congregational Church.
This performance was the last concert of the 2013－2014 season, literally. And because of that, the church was completely, something entirely new to me. In the past, every time I purchase tickets on the spot, I almost always get tickets with decent seats. This time, however, we were seated at the very back of the balcony. Despite this, the sound carried fairly well to us, which I must say is rather impressive in terms of the acoustical design. The only thing element we had to deal with was the warm weather coupled with a full house of people in a church with no air conditioning. Let's just say lots of people around were fanning fervently with their programs.
The final concert of the season was met with utmost grandeur, somewhat fitting for the occasion. Instrumentation called for a full orchestra, a chorus, and five female solo vocalists. The program of the night was Vivaldi's only surviving oratorio Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie, or Juditha triumphans for short, based on the Book of Judith, included only in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles. The story talks about Holofernes leading the Assyrians on an assault on the Jewish city Bethulia. When all seems lost, young beautiful widow Judith and her maid enter the enemy's camp, seduces Holofernes (falls for her good looks of course) and decapitates him after getting him drunk. With their fearless leader gone, the Assyrians disperse, and the Bethulians rejoice, getting to live another day.
As it turns out, in many other instances, the story of Judith was an allegory for the current affairs of Venice in the early 18th century. The Venetian Republic was then at war with the Ottoman Empire, and in the same year it was performed (1716), there were some key victories won by Venice and its allies. The triumph of the Bethulians over the Assyrians also signified the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the hands of the Venetian Republic.
There is no question whatsoever that the Red Priest wrote Juditha triumphans while at the Ospedale della Pietà orphanage, with the girls in mind. Not only do the soloists all call for the female vocal range, the variety of instruments required to perform the piece would only be found in Pietà for anywhere south of the Alps in Vivaldi's time. A complete performance of Juditha triumphans is more than 3 hours, easily the longest PBO concert I've ever attended. However, it is a complete display of Vivaldi's creativity and versatility, outright refuting Stravinsky's absurd comment that Vivaldi wrote the same concerto 500 times.
To go into detail about every aria is impractical, so only the gist is given here, as accurately as I remembered it. Depending on the character's mood and social rank, Vivaldi musters up different arrangements. A higher ranked character would be accompanied by a fuller orchestra, while a lower one might be supported by a lean continuo. As for the different moods, Vivaldi offers a whole palette of obbligato instruments. The viola d'amore conveying the sense of Judith asking for mercy, the theorbo and harpsichord combination to portray the hurriedness of subordinates scrambling to prepare the feast, chalumeauxs imitating the turtle dove, mandolin's nocturnal effect, oboe and organ combo to display deep infatuation, muted strings evoking slumber, recorders suggesting gently blowing winds, viola da gambas (truly a rarity in 18th century Italy) accompanying a devout prayer, trumpets and timpani for both the bellicose and triumphant, how can one not be impressed? In a live performance, one has the added benefit of seeing the musicians bringing their instruments to the front of the stage, like a show-and-tell, a Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra for early music instruments.
The arias pretty much follow the da capo (ABA) format, with the vocalists and instrumentalists adding good embellishments on the returning A section, exhaling a taste of freshness in repeats. The vocalists had different textures, one pure and clean, another rounder, and yet another maybe a meatier sound. Each soloist was always in great control of her voice, never giving the feeling she was taxed or pushed in any way.
The most eye-catching performances must go to Vivica Genaux's character Vagaus. Although only a servant to Holofernes in the oratorio, Vagaus is given more arias than his master, and second only to the titular character Juditha. The Vagaus arias have arguably the most demanding and virtuosic runs in the entire oratorio. The singer who sang Vagaus's part must have been quite a sensation back in the day, as Vivaldi clearly went out of his way to write some dazzling parts for her. Vivica Genaux is no stranger to pyrotechnics (her performance with PBO a few years ago left a strong impression), and her last aria was sung with great passion and so virtuosically ornamented that it met with the loudest and longest ovation.
Last but not least, the one to really thank for this complete performance of Juditha triumphans has to be PBO conductor Nicholas McGegan. He's always been a specialist in Baroque opera, and this night you get to see just why he's so at home with the dramatic works. Simply stating that it was "unforgettable" is to put it mildly and does not do it any justice.
Being the last concert of the season, a simple reception was held afterward. in hopes of continual support from the patrons. It was my chance for autographs and photo-ops with Ms. Labelle and Genaux, who were wonderful as persons as they were musicians.
Dominique Labelle
Vivica Genaux
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