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December 29 Concert Logs: H2 20089 August 2008, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing Cincinnati Pops OrchestraVarious Olympics Themes and Hollywood Soundtracks Erich Kunzel, conductor
I quote my mom's comment: 小儿科做到极致还是小儿科。The programme is just not interesting enough for us to stay for the second half.Personal Rating: B 20 December 2008, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing Beethoven: Overture, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Op.122 Beethoven: Symphony No.9, Op.125 Zhang Liping, Liang Ning, Yuan Chenye, Wei Song
China National Symphony Orchestra Chen Zuohuang, conductor Personal Rating: B- Appalling acoustic. Fully-orchestrated passages sound like a mono broadcast. How astonishing the designer got it all wrong. Calm Sea is well rehearsed, but Symphony No.9 suffers from too brisk a tempo in the andante, where all the suspense is lost. The two baritones are at least half a note off the orchestra and their voices barely audible. The only redeeming factor of this forgettable concert is Zhang Liping. She was as good as three years ago in La Traviata! December 15 CSO/Haitink in Beijing Next Year!先记下来免得忘了。这两场砸锅卖铁也要去！ Friday, 13 February 2009, 8:00pm Saturday, 14 February 2009, 7:30pm
Haydn - Symphony No.101
Bruckner - Symphony No.7
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Haitink, conductor
National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing February 25 Olivier Latry Organ RecitalFriday 22 February 2008, 7.30 pm Westminster Abbey, London Olivier Messiaen: Apparition de l'eglise eternelle Olivier Messiaen: La Nativite du Seigneur Olivier Latry, organ Personal Rating: A Time came to a stop in the Apparition! December 08 Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007)German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen has died at the age of 79. He was a true avant-garde artist and pioneer of electronic music. I have several of his recordings but I can't say I like any of them. Gruppen and Carre are early works for large orchestras and chorus. The interaction between the groups of musicians is innovative but the score makes no sense to me. So is the Mantra (1970), in which the composer utilized the so-called formula composition technique, expanding, projecting and multiplying a single melodic formula. The resulting score for two modulated pianos is provocative but monotonous and unpleasant. His most famous project is probably the 11-part Klavierstück I-XI. Again, they sound extremely weird but some do stand repeated listening, e.g. Klavierstück IX, which I first heard in Maurizio Pollini's London recital in 2001. Stimmung (1968) is only piece that I find not so hard on the ears. It consists mainly of vocal hum and harmonics. Elements of world music and folk tunes can also be found and some passages are quite soothing, to say the least. Although hugely influential, Stockhausen remains a controversial figure (his music has not won my heart yet!). The most famous quote on him came from Sir Thomas Beecham. When asked whether he had conducted any Stockhausen, the flamboyant conductor replied "No. But I have trodden in some!" November 28 中国当代作曲家一句话点评朱践耳：十二音体系已入至臻化境，信手拈来。老而弥坚，60岁后作品中不乏精品。 王西麟：有思想深度，乐思崇高，不过偶尔会过度沉迷于自己的悲恸之中不能自拔。 鲍元恺：《炎黄风情》创意很好，缺点是技法太单一，写成了民歌大联唱，可惜了。 谭 盾：鬼气很浓，东拼西凑再加上一些噱头居然也搞得有声有色的，不得不佩服。 瞿小松：不浮躁，有定力，擅长在音乐里注入其哲学，但似乎技术上不是最出色的。 郭文景：继承了四川人火爆的脾气，很张扬，很有个性，后来果真向主旋律投诚了？ 叶小纲：才华出众而且有书卷气，常在无声之处听惊雷，但是最近也有投诚的倾向？ 陈其钢：奶油小生的音乐，有旋律，很中听，多听不免觉得有些娘娘腔和无病呻吟。 何训田：独树一帜，但是太商业化，人工雕琢太明显，如同吃快餐，管饱但没营养。 November 22 Nixon in China - A Great Contemporary OperaWhile editing a proposed discussion topic "The Chinese Image in Classical Music" yesterday, I realised that I forgot to list the 1987 opera Nixon in China by John Adams. It had sat quietly in my collection for over a year but I never gave it a try, having been frustrated by Adams' earlier minimalist works. So this time I went to YouTube and watched a few clips. Wow, I was completely carried away! This opera is simply stunning, a real masterpiece!! I will not give more superlatives or spoilers, just watch these clips and you will understand what I mean. 第一幕第一场：空军一号如飞碟般降落北京机场，片刻后，尼克松走下舷梯与周总理握手致意，随后唱起咏叹调"News, news, news... has a kind of mystery"。特别注意周总理略为弯曲的右臂，饰演他的男中音Sanford Sylvan显然是做足了功课。 第一幕第三场：人民大会堂的招待会上，尼克松讲了个很烂的笑话“我反对中国......但是我错了”，把太太吓出一身冷汗。接着第一幕在几乎可以以假乱真的礼宾干杯场景中结束。 第二幕第二场a：这一段非常有戏剧张力！先是幽默了一把《红色娘子军》，看看谁是南霸天？没错，居然是基辛格同志，接着尼克松夫妇以一种超现实的方式参与到舞剧中，当战士把琼花扶起来的时候，尼克松掏出一把手枪，但是尼克松太太抢先递了一杯桔子水过去，两人的性格差异展露无遗。琼花被救活后响起的音乐居然是瓦格纳《指环》的主导动机！ 第二幕第二场b：江青张扬跋扈地唱出咏叹调《我是老毛的爱人》。这是全剧的小高潮之一，歌词如下： I am the wife of Mao Tse-Tung Who raised the weak above the strong When I appear the people hang Upon my words, and for his sake Whose wreaths are heavy round my neck I speak according to the book. (举红宝书) When did the Chinese people last Expose its daughters? At the breast (把琼花拉到怀里) Of history I sucked and pissed, Thoughtless and heartless, red and blind, I cut my teeth upon the land And when I walked my feet were bound On revolution. Let me be A grain of sand in heaven's eye And I shall taste eternal joy (琼花至此完全被同化) 反复后，整个舞台陷入文革的混乱状态，只有周恩来一个人作为反抗力量和江青怒目对视。 第三幕：访华的最后一夜，黑暗中每个人都陷入沉思。老毛和江青又回忆起延安的情景。周总理虽然戏份不多，但他才是《尼》剧的灵魂人物，因为只有他对历史做了认真的反思，可惜这里缺了周总理最后那段感人泪下的咏叹调。 November 21 街头小广告 - Week 8 DiscussionTopic Modern Chinese Music - Nationalistic vs Avant-Garde Introduction The scene of modern Chinese music is dominated by the 5th generation composers who pioneered the use of avant-garde techniques. However, their international success never ceases to cause controversies at home. Leading proponents (e.g. Tan Dun) are often accused of playing with shallow techniques and kowtowing to the West with superficial use of traditional music elements. Older composers also questioned their lack of commitment to nationalistic, moral and historic topics, culminating in the infamous Wang Xilin vs Guo Wenjing debate a few years ago. This week's discussion will sample music from both the old and the new generations. Similar to the question in the arts, as raised by Horace two weeks ago, we face the same dilemma here - what kind of Chinese music do we need in the 21st century? Music Samples: From the earlier generations: 陈培勋：《咏雪》 Chan Pui-fang: An Ode to Snow (1960-64) 王西麟：《火把节》 Wang Xilin: Torch Festival (1964) From the 5th generation composers: 郭文景：《蜀道难》 Guo Wenjing: The Road to Shu (1987) 谭 盾：《鬼戏》 Tan Dun: Ghost Opera (1994) 谭 盾：《水之受难曲》 Tan Dun: Water Passion (2000) 陈其钢：《五行》 Chen Qigang: Les cinq éléments (1999) 陈其钢：《蝶恋花》 Chen Qigang: Iris dévoilée (2001) Reading: 王西麟访谈：《他们的批判精神丧失了》 Presenter: Xibai Xu Time & Venue: 9 p.m. Sunday, 02 December 2007 Food & Snacks: Tea and deserts Please contact me if you want to join. October 17 Chan Pui-fang创作了交响乐《我的祖国》（其中以前奏曲《咏雪》最为著名），《清明祭》以及大量钢琴作品的杰出作曲家陈培勋，今年2月在广东去世，享年86岁。然而对这位现代中国音乐的扛鼎人物，音乐界竟没有举行过任何纪念活动，各大媒体也没有做任何报道，实在令人心寒...... Link - 鲍元恺：怀念恩师陈培勋先生（1） August 26 Lucerne Mahler 3 Video + PROMS AudioSomeone has uploaded this video to Demonoid:
19 August 2007, Lucerne
Mahler: Symphony No.3
Anna Larsson, Arnold Schoenberg Choir
Lucerne Festival Orchestra / Claudio Abbado
Video: MPEG-2, 720x576, 8742 kbps, 25 fps
Audio: MPEG-2, 48000Hz, 192 kbps Duration: 01:43:46
Format: .mpg
File Size: 2.2GB
This is from the Lucerne Festival three days before the PROMS. Nearly identical interpretation but slightly less adventurous. The audience is very much less intrusive though and they kept silent in the end! I'd say the recorded sound is nothing near the magical one I heard live but it's decent and vastly superior to the BBC podcast (48kbps realaudio? Please, BBC, how can we enjoy music at such atrocious quality?).
So if you want to know just how good Lucerne/Abbado is, go and download this video. Non-registered users can download the seed from here:
The off-air radio recording of the Mahler 3 at the PROMS is also available in MP2:
Peerless Abbado Returns With Celestial Sounds22 August 2007, Royal Albert Hall, London
Mahler: Symphony No.3
Anna Larsson, mezzo-soprano
Trinity Boys' Choir
London Symphony Chorus (Women's Voice)
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Claudio Abbado, conductor
Personal Rating: A+
The day started off pretty hectic - my train was cancelled, the tube delayed and an unexpected shower ambushed me as I emerged from Highstreet Kensington station. When I finally arrived there at 5pm, I was already No. 258 in a queue that stretched several hundred meters into Prince Consort Road. Fortunately I was in despite not being early enough to get the best possible view. The atmosphere in the Albert Hall was electrifying. Abbado was greeted with "bravo" even before he picked up the baton. And a few notes into the first movement it was clear that we were in for something special. The sonics of the orchestra had a very refined and intimate feel while being focused and lustrous at the same time. Their pianissimo, with tremendous suspense, was the most beautiful I have ever heard. This unique sound can be attributed to the fact that half of the players are top notch chamber musicians, including such famous names as Natalia Gutman and Sabine Meyer. But the real reason is the man at the helm: Claudio Abbado. I used to dislike his weird and sometimes clumsy conducting style, but now I have come to acknowledge him as a truly great conductor. It is evident that towards his final years in Berlin he had tamed its intense Karajan sound. Now his vision of transforming a big orchestra into a chamber ensemble is fully realised in his hand-picked Lucerne Festival Orchestra - indeed, a super-orcehstra that sent many fellow prommers into hypnotization and had my heart utterly melted.
Every detail of the score was carefully thought of: The off-stage snare drum in the first movement and its novel "shut-the-door" decrescendo was pure magic; so was the conversation between the orchestra and the posthorn solo in the third movement. Even more impressive was Anna Larsson, who in her glorious red dress delivered a most heartbreaking yet poetic account of Nietzsche's texts.
Abbado's interpretation of Mahler was clearly not driven by raw power or sentimenality. Instead it was full of grace and humanity. The epic six-movent piece was so perfectly paced that it flew like a single stream, bringing a profound unity to a score full of abrupt changes. The second movement, sometimes considered an anticlimax, was particularly charming with the string veiling seemingly out of the world. The last movement had a relatively fast tempo but the building-up to the glorious ending was simply spellbinding.
I was so affected that in the end I was hoping for a short pause to reflect on the music. In fact I was so emotionally drained that I just wanted to leave the hall and plough myself deep in thought. I believe many prommers shared my feeling - quite a few people around me restrained from applauding for some time afterwards, just as I did when a concert touches me profoundly. It was a pity that some jumped in too quickly and spoiled what could have been a very spiritual moment. I can tell that the BBC made some efforts to best record the concert as there were no less than 30 microphones in the hall, 16 for the choirs alone. Maybe 40 years later it will be released as a BBC Legend. It already gained a legendary status in my heart! To me it defies any benchmarking or comparison because it is more than just a concert. It is a unique experience that will stay in my memory forever.
Related Blog: Previous Reviews: August 16 My Music CatalogueMy MP3/AAC/APE/FLAC Catalogue
Updated 31 July 2007
My digital music collection started in 2002 and has been growing so rapidly that it has replaced CDs as my major source of music. Total playing time is around 730 hours as of July 2007, excluding non-classical music and counting only one recording per work. Composers such as Haydn and Mozart are underrepresented while Chopin, Faure, Bruckner, Mahler, Wagner, Debussy, Ravel and Ligeti have had their complete works (or all major works) in the collection.
Please suggest appropriate music to add to the collection! August 13 PROM 38 Mini-Review
Brahms: Tragic Overture Brahms: Symphony No.3 Sibelius: Symphony No.5 European Union Youth Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis Personal Rating: A- Mini-Review: It didn't even make into my shortlist of proms to go for but these kids stunned me with utmost profesionalism and dedication to the music. The Brahms is a little bit sluggish and some of the lyrical parts don't quite hold together. but other than that I have no complaints. Sibelius' No.5 is far better under Sir Colin's baton. A very solid reading. I was never a big fan of Sibelius but I will try more after this concert. P.S. Give me blue for Sibelius, orange and yellow are better suited to Brahms. Also present: Anne, Kamilla, etc. Coming up: PROM 51: 22 August 2007 Mahler: Symphony No.3 Lucerne Festival Orchestra / Claudio Abbado Man, my heart beats twice as fast every time I see these words. Mahler-Lucerne-Abbado-Prom, a dream come true for Mahler junkies?! The question now is, how early should I start queueing for arena tickets? Concert logs: June 2007Recital 1: 12 June 2007, Barbican Hall Chopin: Prelude in C sharp minor, Op.45 Chopin: Ballade No.2 in F major, Op.38 Chopin: Nocturnes, Op.27 Chopin: Scherzo No.3 in C sharp minor, Op.49 Chopin: Polonaise in A flat major, Op.53 Liszt: Huages gris, Unstern, La lugubre gondola No.1, R.W. Venezia Liszt: Piano Sonata MAURIZIO POLLINI, piano Personal Rating: A Mini-Review: Pollini in impeccable form. Typical pristine-clear Chopin. The nocturnes sound like Schoenberg, an anti-traditional interpretation but with his incredible control of flows is still very enjoyable. The minor Liszt pieces are superbly realised with progressively more darkness, bringing chills down my spines. In contrast the sonata suffers from some odd tempo choices although the audience seems to like it. The best piece is definitely Chopin's Ballade No.1, the third time I've heard it as an encore (2001, 2005, 2007). Recital 2: 14 June 2007, Royal Festival Hall Haydn: Piano Sonata No.33 Beethoven: Piano Sonata, Op.110 Schubert: Impromtus, D935 Mozart: Piano Sonata K457 ALFRED BRENDEL, piano Personal Rating: B+ Mini-Review: Things are just too controled and refined to leave any element of surprise or thrill. I almost fell asleep in the Haydn sonata (and feel guity afterwards!). The Beethoven sonata is stunning though. Schubert's impromtus sound never ending, the Mozart sonata playful and expressive. Good old Brendel? No doubt. My cup of tea? Not quite. Extra: An intruding audience noise earns a staring from the maestro and the accoustic of the refurbished Hall is nothing to write home about, at least from where I was seated. August 09 Some New Music I Enjoyed in 2007Here are some of the best new addition to my collection I enjoyed in 2007:
Biber: The Rosary Sonatas
Mysterious and virtuosic. I'm very surprised with the sophistication of these pre-Bach works. I might be wrong but some of the sonatas seems to contain atonal elements, the same sort of feeling I had when I listened to Beethoven's late quartets.
Franck: Oeuvres pour Orgue
Majestic and romantic. I'd like to have some more Vierne and Widor too.
Fauré: Thème et variations, Ballade, Préludes
Fauré must be one of the most underrated composers ever. I was hooked by his Nocturnes back in 2003 which I consider is at least on par with Chopin's nocturnes. His other piano works continue to amaze me and I'm really looking forward to hear the last two installment (Barcarolles, etc) of this set. Fauré: Intégrale des Mélodies
Debussy: Mélodies
Ravel: Mélodies
Wow, wow, wow! Such beautiful songs! Forget about Schubert and Schumann, I'm addicted to French melodies!
Mendelssohn: Variations sérieuses
Since I watched Richter: The Enigma a couple of years ago I've been searching for a decent recording of this piece and finally I'm pleased with Brendel's. This has got to be one of my favourite piano works but why only a handful pianists have tackled it remains a mystery to me.
Scriabin & Chopin: Recordings by Sofronitsky The biggest surprise in 2007. His Chopin even outshines Scriabin! When Sofronitsky priased Richter as a "genius:, richter responded that Sofronitsky was a "god". Now you know this is far from merely a joke!
Honorary Mentioins:
C.P.E. Bach: Flute Concertos
Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette
Dvořák - Piano Quintets
Liszt: Tannhäuser Overture, S442
Saint-Saëns: Musique de Chambre
Schubert - String Quintet, D956
Schumann - Piano Trios, Quartet, Quintet
Brahms: Piano Quartets
Bartók - Piano Concertos
Busoni: Toccata, Piano Concerto
Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony
Shostakovich: Piano Concertos, Violin and Viola Sonatas
Rauravaara: Angel of Light
Ligeti: Sonata for Solo Cello, Atmosphères, Requiem Ligeti: Lux Aeterna, Continuum, Lontano
Adams: Nixon in China
Boulez: Le Marteau sans maître, ...explosante-fixe...
Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel, Für Alina December 11 Concert Logs: December 20066th December 2006, Barbican Hall Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 12 & 10
Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra / Valery Gergiev
Personal Rating: B+ Mini-Review: Awesomely played. Tempo is a bit arbitary though, e.g. the finale of the 12th is way too fast.
7th December 2006, Barbican Hall
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 11
Mariinsky Theatre Chorus and Orchestra / Valery Gergiev Rating: A-
Mini-Review: Strings are soft and lack the tension in the 11th, otherwise great performance. September 16 2006-2007 London Music Season Preview[1] Royal Festival Hall [3] Wigmore Hall 2007年3月29日 December 28 Farewell 2005Farewell 2005, it has been such an extraordinary year of triumph, obscurity and adventure; and of course, filled with memorable concerts of all varieties. When looking forward to the coming year, I wonder who will become the stars of 2006, where and when will the stories take place? Perhaps only Heaven knows the answer...
2005 CONCERT DIARY
Starring Co-Starring Guest Appearance Shot in Locations in Directed by
头一次遇到学生票提前数周售罄，足可说明人气之高。然而实际的演出却是那么让人“不忍卒听”，使我不得不庆幸没有拉更多的人来受罪。有一个人可以野蛮地砸出莫扎特，把肖邦弹得油头粉面，让李斯特退化成哈农练指法，还一定要在加演的时候耍个野蜂飞舞，这个人就是朗朗，他在我心目中的形象彻底崩溃了。
格里莫前一年顶替波里尼救场，表现可圈可点，所以这次专程来听她的独奏会。上半场的肖邦船歌，摇篮曲和第二奏鸣曲中规中矩，下半场的老拉第二就比较勉强了。曲子太长，到后面明显体力不支了，看她皮包骨头的样子，真怕她晕到在钢琴前面。看来做演奏家太瘦也是不行的！音乐会上认识了Anne的同学Kamilla，是在牛津读博士的丹麦著名模特。
小阿给我带来不少惊喜，他的马勒不像其他指挥家那么煽情，而是平实中带着淡淡的忧伤和不安，表现第四，真是恰到好处，尤其是第三乐章格外出色，可惜我们坐在合唱席上，听不大清楚女高音的声音。小阿在演出前的见面会上爆料说小时候作曲，还被老师评为4分的老柴，又透露自己买了许多当代音乐的唱片，但越听越觉得这些音乐缺乏真诚，缺乏与听者的感情交流。
事隔一年多，又回到了巴比肯这座水泥丛林里。巴伦博伊姆风采不减当年，两个大曲目都驾轻就熟，简直就像喝下午茶一般轻松。音乐会并没什么值得回忆的，倒是我和Anne从反日游行聊到中国政治，又谈起儒释道哲学。难得遇到一个对中国感兴趣的同学，让我有机会大肆地宣讲了一番传统文化，把人家忽悠得心驰神往。除去下午场音乐会的时间，从2点一直聊到晚上10点多，害得她连回牛津的火车都没赶上，要转到维多利亚车站去坐大巴。
出门坐上火车才发现，居然忘带票了......经过激烈的思想斗争，决定径直去音乐厅补票。幸好有交易记录，及时补上，否则一定被两个同学踢进泰晤士河，死无葬身之地。从来没有听过波里尼的肖邦夜曲，这次连听9首，大饱了耳福。第二奏鸣曲的慢乐章弹到人肉体窒息，灵魂出窍，远远超过了两个月前格里莫的诠释。于是老波在我心中的偶像地位再一次强化（大致相当于马友友在旖心目中的地位了）。音乐会后过于激动又去吃夜宵，结果晚了三分钟到车站，误了最后一班火车，代价非常惨痛！
落幕前最后的疯狂！音乐会的亮点自然是一袭红装的慕洛娃演奏她最拿手的巴托克第二。另外有幸目睹了塞格斯坦的真容，那大胡子果然是“叹为观止”，把两个朋友都乐趴下了。Kamilla于是开始八卦（她的男友在丹麦广播交响乐团，认识这个指挥），讲起此君的逸事，据说他是个花心大萝卜，而且为人极其粗暴无礼...
9月7日：阿什肯纳基和中国爱乐的贝多芬第四钢协+肖七（中山） 虽然小阿的触键太肉，让人听着很不过瘾，以致我多年“抵制”他的录音，但不得不承认这次贝四弹得蛮不错的。下半场肖七很过瘾，虽然乐队层次感还不够，但是能把爱乐调教到这个水平，已经不是凡人做得到的了。音乐会上第一次见到旖，非常高兴！
给朋友的铁杆哥们谢天捧场。他唱的确实不错，在国内基本没有对手。柯绿娃比较逊色，声音不够通透。“青椒”的伴奏差强人意，错音就不说了，那些最需要乐队营造气氛的关键时刻总给人疲软的感觉，听着听着就泄气了。
给朋友的铁杆哥们张力萍捧场，本年度印象最深刻的音乐会。张力萍好几年前就被MX吹上天了，但我一直没有机会“鉴定”一下，今年因为考试还错过了她在柯文特花园的《茶花女》。这次终于补回来了！袁晨野的男中音也让人鼻子发酸，以前很少听人声听到热泪盈眶的，这回算一次。音乐会以后太激动，活蹦乱跳地就走回家了（世纪剧院到国展还不算太远，45分钟搞定）。
罪过啊，拉威尔的《鹅妈妈》我居然睡着了！哎，本来就是拉威尔最乏味的作品，还一定要演完整版。下半场贝三相当精彩，洋溢着一种少有的青春气息，让我对拉特尔的传统德奥曲目恢复了一点信心。这场以后，在我这里，柏林和阿姆斯特丹，暂时并列第一吧。
12月5日：北京大学合唱团15周年团庆音乐会（百年讲堂）
不能算古典，是我多少年以来第一次去听流行演唱会。初一初二曾经疯狂地喜欢过欧美流行音乐，Michael Bolton也是当时我崇拜的明星之一。"When a Man Loves a Woman", "Can I touch you there"这些经典曲目，现在回顾一下也别有风味。
UPDATE: 风行金陵 译 Silent Night： 天籁音声绝，悠然昨夜风。 秋波何所似，点点缀长空。 December 24 My Christmas Music SessionsChristmas Eve (Choral + Organ):
J.S.BACH Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248 - Sinfonia
"Von Himmel hoch da komm ich her", BWV 769
PALESTRINA Stabat Mater
MESSIAEN La Nativite du Seigneur - IV. Le Verbe
WIDOR Toccata from Symphony No.5
Christmas Day (Orchestral + Vocal):
MAHLER Adagietto from Symphony No.5
Ruckertlieder - Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
SCHOENBERG Verklärte Nacht, Op.4
Boxing Day (Piano):
GRIEG Lyric Suite No.43 "Danke", Op.61
SCHUBERT Three Pieces, D946 - I. Allegro assai
Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D774 (trans. Liszt)
RACHMANINOV Etude-tableux in E flat minr, Op.39 No.5
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor, Op.31 No.2 "Tempest"
Merry Christmas to you all!  December 16 最近在听的两张唱片 Oliver Messiaen - Organ Works Vol.I
Jennifer Bate, Organ
Unicorn-Kanchana DKP-9005
这是我非常欣赏的女管风琴家Jennifer Bate在Les Grandes Orgues de la Cathédrale Saint Pierre de Beauvais上演奏的。层层叠叠的音块，连绵不断的气息，营造出一种空灵，神秘的宇宙之声。La Nativite du Seigneur第四段Le Verbe 3分24秒之后的几分钟是神来之笔，这是何等亲切而温暖的声音啊，同时却又是那么遥远和肃穆。我虽然不信教，但终于能明白教徒们常提到的revelation。那种和主交流的感觉，大概就是这样的吧。可惜这张唱片缺了Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle，这首曲子我在英国第一次听的时候就被深深地打动了，遗憾的是此后一直没能找到它的录音。
 Shostakovich - Symphony No.11
London Symphony Orchestra / Mstislav Rostropovich
LSO Live 00030
当年是读了Gramophone杂志的好评之后去买的，但听完却没有留下什么印象，因为实在演得太慢了，此次重听才真正体会到老罗的用意。这种慢速并没有牺牲掉音乐内在的张力，反而将其增强，时时刻刻造成一种暴风雨来临之前的恐怖气氛，仿佛连空气都凝固了，压得人喘不过气来。演出的动态范围极大，一开始一直是人耳几乎察觉不到的ppp，直到到沙皇卫队出现，才猛地变成fff，对比度让人不寒而栗。肖十一是我极喜欢的一首交响乐，它是写给全世界被压迫者的一首挽歌。而老罗的LSO版已经超越海廷克，成为我的最爱。
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