ヘンデル: 水の音楽、シンフォニア

180グラムLP2枚組 見開きジャケット仕様!

2007年5月にケルンのシュトルベルガー・シュトラーセ・スタジオで録音されたアルバムがLPで登場。WDRの影響力もあり、古楽ムーヴメントの一大聖地となっていたケルンを拠点に活動を開始した「コンチェルト・ケルン」は、1985年にケルン音楽大学の学生たちによって結成された古楽器アンサンブル。コンチェルト・ケルンのポリシーは、現在の知名度に関わらず、バロック期を中心にヨーロッパで活躍した作曲家の音楽を幅広く取り上げることで、適切な様式を見出そうというものです。交通や通信が不便だったにも関わらず、17～18世紀の作曲家や演奏家の活動は非常に国際的だったので、説得力のあるポリシーとも言えます。有名無名の作曲家たちの音楽に数多く取り組んできたコンチェルト・ケルンの経験値の高さは、大胆で思い切りの良い演奏にも繋がり、実演だけでなく、Berlin Classics、Tledec、Archiv、Capriccio、harmonia mundi france、Virgin、Covielloなどさまざまなレーベルで制作されたアルバムも高い評価を獲得してきました。

This recording of the Water Music of Handel (or, this being a German disc, Handel) falls into the bin of revisionist interpretations of familiar works, and perhaps also that of German ensembles who feel they have to combat the reputation for conservatism of their musical culture by being radical. For the most part, Concerto Koln makes its radical reading hold together. Tempos run from quick to extreme, but there's an energy and a rollicking quality that keep the music moving along, with some very unusual early horns in the complement of historical instruments making clear the degree to which these instruments were novelties in the England of 1717. In general, the sharp attacks and varied, slightly exaggerated articulation employed by the group makes the music's original outdoor performance easy to imagine. There is a lot of ornamentation, and some innovative treatments of notated ornaments, including a very unusual decision right at the beginning of the disc (Concerto Koln, despite mention of other possibilities in the booklet, sticks with the usual division into three suites), but not enough to be really distracting. The balance among the instruments is carefully controlled, bringing out nice details of texture. The downside on this disc is the group's tendency to let its innovative spirit run away in a few instances. What is the point of having the Air in the first suite (track 7) be introduced by the harpsichord alone? To the crowd assembled on King George's boat floating down the Thames this would have simply sounded like an unaccountable pause in the music. The piecemeal introduction of the rest of the ensemble in the rest of that dance doesn't work, either, and there are a few other odd decisions of this type. Berlin Classics' engineering here is top-notch, however, and the disc can be recommended to collectors of historically informed performances.