「我經歷過最寒冷的冬天是三藩市的夏天。」
記者 N 的流浪體驗,和馬克吐溫關於三藩市的名言(雖然真實性成疑),啟發了我一件事:演奏舒伯特之前,應該先好好了解一遍《冬之旅》 (Winterreise)。
廿四首曲子都很灰暗,舒伯特自己形容為「恐怖」,請有心理準備。
《冬之旅》
舒伯特根據穆勒(Wilhelm Müller)的詩集所譜寫
一、晚安
冬夜的月光下,詩人走出房子,成了外人,正如他來的時候一樣。女孩讓他們的愛萌芽,連她母親也談到婚姻:但女孩的愛已溜到新的對象。詩人趁她們睡覺靜靜離開,在門口寫上「晚安」,踏上白雪的旅程。
二、風向標
風吹著屋上的風向標,把詩人也吹走了。如果一早發現這個飄忽的信號,他就不會在這裡尋找忠貞的女人。女孩將成為富貴的新娘,有誰理會他的悲傷?
三、凍結的眼淚
眼淚結成了冰,但火熨的心要把冬雪都融化。
四、麻木
他要尋找雪裡的足跡,二人曾在這裡的花草間漫遊。他要親吻地下,以熱淚融掉冰雪,但花草已然凋謝,甚麼紀念也不能拿走。他的心麻木了,連同她的面目一起冰封。
五、菩提樹
門口的菩提樹,讓詩人渡過很多美麗的時光。現在,黑夜裡,他要闔上雙眼走過這棵菩提樹,舞動的樹枝對他說:「你來這裡會得安息!」
六、洪水
淚下到雪裡,春來臨的時候,融化的水與淚湧流向愛人的家。
七、河上
從前流水淙淙,現在冰封不動。他要把愛人的名字,相遇與分離的日子,都刻在冰上。他的心和河一樣:表面僵硬,內裡澎湃。
八、回望
他急步離開小鎮,但石頭把他絆倒,每家的烏鴉向他投冰雹。為什麼這樣待他呢?剛來的時候,窗戶閃爍,雲雀夜鶯高歌,菩提樹盛放,小溪潺潺,少女的一雙眼睛發亮!想起這些,他又要走回去了。
(待續)
5 則留言:
I find these German poems real Loh Toh, in translation anyway. I suppose they sound OK in the original language. Cheng Kam Lung says "German romantic" is a derisory term in Europe, excepting Germany. Peter
You may be right!
The belly-achings of a jilted lover seem to be a popular subject matter for German romantic poetry. The concluding number of Dichterliebe strikes me as positively grotesque: twelve giants bearing a gigantic coffin which is so heavy because it contained the poet's disappointed love, and I don't believe it was meant to be funny. Arnold Schoenberg is said to have listened to Schubert's lieder for years without paying any attention to the words. I have also (unknowingly) followed his example. I was quite shocked when I started looking at the texts. Peter
How can you explain that sudden change of mood (minor to major) in the fourth stanza without knowing the texts? The listener could of course come up with his or her own image from listening to the music alone, but the original context is also fascinating on its own.
I do not suggest one should ignore the words entirely, at the least they supply some kind of "plot" (and coherence), as in an opera, but the music effects a magical transformation and the combined effect seems a great improvement on the text alone. I am also not unresponsive to the plights of young lovers, but certain emotions become less violent with age! Peter
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