胡麥爾、舒伯特：鋼琴五重奏　Hummel & Schubert：Piano Quintets

「藏樂」是個專精演奏18與19世紀初期音樂的室內樂團，1996年由古鋼琴家蘇珊．亞力山大．馬克斯成立，也因這層因素，他們的演奏曲目多集中編制有早期鋼琴的室內樂作品。和許多古樂團一樣，藏樂在編制上亦會根據曲目做出彈性調整空間。樂團自成立以來不斷參與各大音樂節以及深入校園演出，精彩的錄音更是獲得許多樂評青睞。

胡麥爾和舒伯特的鋼琴五重奏雖然風格迥異，兩人卻不約而同採用了低音大提琴取代傳統鋼琴五重奏編制中的第二部小提琴。儘管如此，兩首作品的作曲以及出版時間卻是層層迷團，甚至也無法確定創作時間較早的胡麥爾的作品是否因此啟發了舒伯特的鱒魚五重奏。胡麥爾的五重奏可以稱的上是他室內樂作品中的嘔心瀝血之作，無論是在份量或是創意都充滿了幽默與嚴肅，豐富的靈感充斥其中，精細巧妙之處不可言語。鋼琴的編寫技巧更能看出胡麥爾對這項樂器的掌控技巧已達爐火純青。舒伯特以他1817年創作的藝術歌曲「鱒魚」改編成變奏曲放入五重奏的最後一個樂章，本曲之名便是由此而來。頭尾輕鬆愜意的樂章展現了舒伯特擅長的抒情浪漫風格，通俗的舞曲節奏和輕快的詼諧曲則創造出熱情和旺盛的活力。

This new release on the Chaconne label is presented by the leading fortepianist and clavichordist Susan Alexander Max and her ensemble The Music Colllection. World-renowned specialists in the period performance of late eighteenth- / early nineteenth-century music, they bring their expertise to Piano Quintets by Hummel and Schubert. Although otherwise highly contrasting, these works are both notable for their unusual inclusion of the double-bass in place of a second violin, otherwise the traditional piano quintet scoring. Uncertanties surround the composition and publishing dates of the two works and the debate continues as to whether Hummel's slightly earlier work was the inspiration for Schubert's 'Trout'. The Quintet is among Hummel's finest chamber works and shows Hummel at his best. It is well proportioned and inventive, with a wide range of ideas, both humerous and serious. The writing for the piano reflects Hummel's own flamboyant virtuosity on the instrument. The last movement of Schubert's Quintet is a set of variations on the 1817 song Die Forelle (The Trout). The work reveals Schubert's incomprable lyricism in the relaxed outer movements, but popular dance rhythms and a brisk scherzo create drive and passion.

Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837):