Dvorak Cello Concerto, Janacek Sinfonietta, Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet : Fournier, Kubelik / Vienna Philharmonic

このドヴォルザークのモノラル盤のCDはしばらく廃盤だったので、ファンには朗報だ。この音源は、以前国内盤CDで買い、古LPも持っているので個人的にはおなじみのものなのだが、ヤナーチェク目当てで買ったこのCDなのに、ついついドヴォルザークを聴いてしまう。若々しくしなやかなフルニエのチェロの歌と響き、そしてヴィヴィッドで美しいクーべリックとWPに惚れ惚れする。セルの厳しいバックもいいし、若いチェリとの丁々発止も面白く、フルニエのこの曲の録音は様々あるが、この演奏の気品はなんとも捨てがたい。ヤナーチェクもチャイコフスキーもすばらしい。

These recordings from 1954 (Dvorak) and 1955 recorded in the Musikvereinsaal in Vienna represent an important link in the Kubelik discography. I have to admit not knowing these performances at all and I thank Cyrus Meher-Homje from Universal for bringing them to my attention. I recently reviewed the later recording that Kubelik made of the Sinfonietta in Munich with his Bavarian Radio Orchestra recorded in 1971, which Eloquence released, and found it to be one of the best of all. These pre-stereo recordings were made after his time in Chicago when he was making recordings with the Philharmonia in London and had a strong association with the Vienna Orchestra making many recordings with them. This version of the Sinfonietta is quite riveting as Kubelik treats it with great urgency. Tempos are fast and the sound of the orchestra is at times quite raw, not inappropriately as the work was written for the Czech armed forces and the opening and closing fanfares are scored for twelve trumpets. The Vienna orchestra is not the right orchestra for this music as I thought when Mackerras recorded it with them for Decca, they never sound Czech, however, this is a very exciting and urgent version of this very original work. The glorious cello concerto is probably the greatest in the repertoire, although the Elgar comes close. Fournier recorded again in stereo a bit later and gives a powerful and impassioned performance with close support from Kubelik. Many of the big orchestral moments are not so clear in the older sound and once again the Vienna Philharmonic do not sound Czech at all, but they never did, or do today. You probably have a recording of it, but at the price, this is a good one to hear and have as an alternative. It was Claudio Abbado who said this orchestra couldn’t play Tchaikovsky because their bowing arm was too long and the same thing applies to them playing Czech music. It hasn’t stopped them from recording a lot of Tchaikovsky under Maazel, Karajan and recently Gergiev. However, this is a very good and exciting Romeo and Juliet with plenty of fine string playing. It is not over-romanticised and that is a good thing.

最初は日キングＬＰ、次に英デッカオリジナルＬＸＴ、そして日ＣＤで聴いてきた。外盤ＣＤで聴きたいと思っていたところ、今回オーストラリア盤で聴ける。本音は欧州盤が欲しいのだが、ガマンするか。フルニエはライヴも含め１０ＣＤほどあるが、このウィーンフィルとのスタジオ録音のものが１番好きだ。音も実にいいし、オケがすばらしい。モノだが臨場感もたっぷりある。ヂュプレ、バレンボイム盤のセカンドチョイスとして推薦。シカゴ響よりこのウィーンフィルの方がはるかにうまい。因みにＬＰの英デッカオリジナルなら３万ｰ４万円だが、あのＬＰ特有のサーフィス音はもういい。ＣＤで十分。