(Credit: Chris Lee)
紐約愛樂到訪北韓演奏一場，聲明不是國家外交，只是純粹的文化交流。紐約愛樂挾著美國文化使者之名，當然不負眾望，以音樂把美國文化發揮得淋漓盡致。
美國人說話直接，不轉彎抹角。紐約愛樂排出德伏札克第九《新世界》交響曲和歌舒詠《美國人在巴黎》，明顯突出「美國」，就像對北韓人直呼：你們愛國，我們也愛國！《新世界》交響曲舖陳出美國大地的民謠，《美國人在巴黎》一曲描寫在巴黎的浮華裡仍最想念故土。北韓人愛國，是因為他們不知道外面的美好；美國人愛國，是遊遍天下仍是覺得美國好。
美國人出名喧鬧，不懂修養，不拘小節。紐約愛樂的聲音也是：超級強勁的銅管，音響爆棚，當然纖細免問，整齊的弦樂也免問。兩首樂曲毫無保留地呈現紐約愛樂的特色。當然弱點也無所遁形，《新世界》交響曲快樂章的弦樂部份便甚刺耳。
指揮大師馬捷爾 (Lorin Maazel) ，出名乾淨俐落，綵排效率極高，換來的音樂卻缺乏了感動人心的要素。（我想了很久也想不到我有那一張唱片是由他指揮，連協奏曲也沒有，連 MP3 也沒有...... 我應該覺得慚愧嗎？）上次他率領意大利托斯卡尼尼青年樂團到訪柏克萊，我現場親睹大師風采，換來的失望，和今次不遑多讓。我很想問大師：為何樂句總是早了一丁點的開始？總是快了一丁點的完結？為什麼那一丁點，就奪去了音樂的感動？
雖然缺乏了一丁點感動的力量，但效率和紀律是紐約愛樂和大師馬捷爾值得肯定的特色，也是一種美國精神的呈現。有一篇評論說：北韓的紀律建於獨裁的權力，美國的紀律建於對自由的追求。我不太欣賞紐約愛樂在音樂藝術上的成就，但很欣賞那種美國精神－－敢於向人推廣自己認為對的理念，以民主和自由為傲。我認為全晚演出最振奮的一刻，是美國國歌裡「自由之地」一句。那一刻，雖然沒有唱出歌詞，台上的音樂家都以樂器強而有力地呼喊出「自由」一詞，在獨裁政權下的北韓裡震動。
4 則留言:
Wow, 好深奧啊！
The "New World" symphony is not an American composition, but a European one written "From the New World". But what actually is "American"? Philip Roth, a Jew growing up in America, listened to these lines from "My country 'tis of thee" (sung to to the tune of God Save the Queen) with some bewilderment: "Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrims' pride". This is certainly not the land of Barack Obama, or perhaps even Hillary Clinton.
Peter:
You are right. The "New World" Symphony is not an American composition. It is the appreciation of the New World from a foreigner's perspective. It still reinforces the American pride.
Having spent 6 years in this nation, I seem to understand only a tiny bit of what America is like. It's time I should pick up a good American history book.
There is a bit of "indigenous" America in the American Quartet. The tune in the trio of the scherzo is said to be an Iowa bird song which Dvorak heard when spending some time with a Czech community in that state.
My late eldest brother used to live in Akron, Ohio. My sister-in-law described herself as "a hill-billy from West Virginia". The people I met in Ohio regarded California almost as a foreign country.
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