Shai Wosner 的舒伯特

November 24, 2013 - 3pm - Hertz Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA
Shai Wosner, piano

Schubert: 3 Piano Pieces, D.946
Widmann: Idyll and Abyss: Six Schubert Reminiscences (2009)
Schubert: Sonata in A major, D.664
Schubert: Sonata in B-flat major, D.960

Encore: Schubert: Hungarian Melody, D.817

聽一線明星以外的音樂家演奏，可以逼耳朵去除既有的印象成見，考考自己接受驚喜的程度。從未聽過 Shai Wosner 這位鋼琴家，但加州大學 Cal Performances 邀請他演奏全舒伯特曲目，想必有驚異之處，我這位舒伯特迷沒理由不聽。

甫出手的 D.946 已可窺見他乾淨俐落的手法，雄壯而快速，大刀闊斧地展開樂章。這更常見於貝多芬的作品，強調結構和對比，而我聽開的 Lupu 、Brendel 、Perahia 等前輩都刻意突顯舒伯特模糊的調性，和細緻纖幼的旋律。不過 Wosner 的手法就反映舒伯特和貝多芬的「師徒」連繫，舒伯特筆下的結構和對比亦更明顯。第二首 E-flat 大調的簡單旋律，Wosner 就真的很直接、天真的彈出來，沒有刻意在轉調的地方沉溺。

中間 Jörg Widmann 的現代作品捕捉了舒伯特音樂世界的精髓，第一首 "Unreal, as if from afar" 左手跟隨傳統的基本和弦，配上高音的不協調音；第三首 "like a lullaby" 很有嬰兒床上玩具的感覺；第六首 "Mournful, desolate" 引用了 D.960 ，在絕望中有天真。

隨後的兩首奏鳴曲都沿用同一雄壯的手法，難得是 Wosner 在大樂章裏更加着重結構性，音量強弱的處理恰當，那些 p / pp 音量但快速滑行的音符（可説是舒伯特的簽名！）效果非常好。只是我聽開 Brendel 和 Lupu 處理的舒伯特有很強療傷的味道，Wosner 的舒伯特少了療傷多了理性内歛的火花，也是一種驚喜。

Wosner 剛開始錄製舒伯特奏鳴曲，預計數年内錄完，舒迷可以留意。

蕭邦夜曲／鄧泰山 (Dang Thai Son)

蕭邦夜曲／鄧泰山 (Dang Thai Son)
 
無甚感覺。造句、聲音都很美妙，但聽過數遍也未能集中精神。問題是我不慣這鋼琴特別的聲音，還是演奏的結構鬆散？

Yuja Wang - Rachmaninov, Prokofiev

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
Yuja Wang / Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela / Gustavo Dudamel

Passionate, as expected from Yuja and Dudamel. Reminds me of Argerich, but Argerich is passionate + spontaneous + a lot more convincing + moving. This is solid performance, but shy of impressive. Dudamel and his young orchestra has nothing much to show until the last climax in the 3rd movement, where their signature energy bursts out - a highlight of the performance. Sound Engineer A must have something to say about the recording - why is the sound so thin?

Yuja + Schiff

 

A food analogy: If Yuja Wang's recital last night was a dazzling display of flavors and visual excitement, the 60-year-old Andras Schiff's music is the perfect slow-cooked comfort food - rich and nutritious.

Some music just needs a certain amount of time for it to ripen.

Oct 6, 2013 - Andras Schiff recital
J.S. Bach - Six Partitas
Encore: Two-Part Invention in C major

Oct 13, 2013 - Andras Schiff recital
J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations
Beethoven - Diabelli Variations
Encore: Last movement from Beethoven's Sonata in C, Op. 111

Yuja Wang's recital @ SF

Yuja plays like a real virtuoso from the golden age of pianists. Brava!

Yuja Wang 王羽佳's piano recital:

Prokofiev Sonata #3
Chopin Sonata #3
Kasputin Variations
Chopin Nocturne op.48/1, Ballade #3
Stravinsky Petrushka
Encores: Arrangements of Art Tatum's "Tea for Two", Bizet's Carmen, Rachmaninov's Vocalise

 Signature 90 degree bow from Yuja.

Zhu Xiao-Mei - Bach, WTC II

Zhu Xiao-Mei (朱曉玫) - J.S. Bach, Well Tempered Clavier Book II

A prodigy raised in China but then banned from playing piano during the Cultural Revolution, then migrated to Paris, continued her study, and became a professor at the Conservatoire de Paris, Zhu is not an international superstar nor a recording icon. Yet, she receives high praise from the inner circle and her recitals are always sold out. It sparked my curiosity to find out more about her.

I had high expectations for this CD - a pianist can't hide anything behind WTC, and Book II is my favorite "bible book" - and I am not disappointed! Amazing colors are hard to find in Bach, but Zhu does it so well, AND with such moving motion and energy! This can't replace Richter or Schiff, and you can pick out technical details (trills, tempo, consistency, etc.) that could be improved. But who can resist a story teller that draws you into the music so well? This will definitely stay in my daily bread collection for quite a while.

Beethoven Quartets

Been repeatedly listening to Beethoven's string quartets lately, and it's really tough to choose between the 4 recordings I have (Vegh, Guarneri, Takacs, Emerson):

individual talent is exciting,
but team work is satisfying;
a gutsy tone keeps you on the edge of your seat,
but a nice intonation puts you to sleep in relaxation;
modern digital recording is crisp and clear,
but the old-world sound is warm and comforting...

I can see parallels between string quartets and marriages!

Movie: A Late Quartet

Revolving around the final performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet Op.131, the quartet members face their own desires and problems in playing music, in love and marriages, and in "life as a mess." The musical part is convincing – It irritates me that I’m missing out a lot as a pianist. The dramatic part not so much. I wish the conflicts and the mess-ups can be portrayed more coherently.

Fidelity

"Fidelity is like a phoenix: Everyone talks about it, but no one has ever seen one."
- Cosi fan tutte

粵曲

點解印象中粵曲咁難聽？

1. 家中長輩學藝不精，響屋企唱得太差；
2. 舊錄音單聲道，沙沙聲；
3. 無啦啦一段折子戲，唔知頭唔知路；又聽唔明歌詞。

睇整場《帝女花》live之後發覺：

1. 勁嘅人係唱得勁好多！
2. 現場音樂清澈、立體。劇情推進時氣勢磅礡（＜香劫＞、＜上表＞），轉眼間又可柔情似水（＜庵遇＞、＜香夭＞）。
3. 旁邊有打歌詞，即刻明晒！故事引人入勝，處處用典。＜庵遇＞一幕，男女主角用情真摯，音樂細膩感人，真與 La Boheme 第一幕有異曲同工之妙。