Glenn Gould Bach: The Goldberg Variations
格伦·古尔德《哥德堡变奏曲》乐评
By Seth Colter Walls
Two virtuosic performances of a Bach composition by the eccentric Canadian pianist brought Baroque music into the modern era. Together, they explore how art and taste evolve through time.
这位特立独行的加拿大钢琴家，以其两次对巴赫乐曲的精湛演绎，将巴洛克音乐带到了现代。两次演绎一起探究着艺术与品味是如何与时俱进的。
The press release began: “Columbia Masterworks’ recording director and his engineering colleagues are sympathetic veterans who accept as perfectly natural all artists’ studio rituals, foibles, or fancies. But even these hardy souls were surprised by the arrival of young Canadian pianist Glenn Gould and his ‘recording equipment’ for his first Columbia sessions. It was a balmy June day, but Gould arrived in a coat, beret, muffler and gloves.” The rest of the bulletin detailed the other peculiarities that Gould had brought along with him when recording J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations for the label.
当时报道的开篇为：“‘哥伦比亚名作唱片’（Columbia Masterworks，公司简称）的录音总监与其工程师们都是和善且经验丰富的内行，他们会很自然地接受所有艺术家在录音室的习惯、癖好或任性。即便见多识广，大家还是对到来的年轻加拿大钢琴家，格伦·古尔德，以及他为第一次在哥伦比亚的录制所带来的“录音装备”感到惊讶。这是六月里温暖的一天，但古尔德穿着外套，戴着贝雷帽、围巾和手套。”报道的其余部分详细叙述了古尔德在这次录制巴赫《哥德堡变奏曲》(The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988)过程中的其它特点。
（译者注：Columbia Masterworks Records是哥伦比亚唱片公司创立于1924年的唱片公司。 1980年，与哥伦比亚唱片公司分离并更名为CBS Masterworks唱片公司。 1990年，在出售给索尼公司之后更名为索尼古典唱片公司。）
These were many. Instead of nobly holding his head high with a proper recitalist’s posture, Gould’s modified piano bench allowed him to get his face right near the keys, where he would proceed to hum audibly while playing. He soaked his arms in hot water for up to 20 minutes before takes and brought a wide variety of pills. He also brought his own bottles of water, which, for 1955, was still something that seemed like only Howard Hughes would do. It was these initial, broadly trumpeted peculiarities that helped shape the Gould myth throughout his too-short life, the audacious genius who slightly unsettled everyone around him. Fittingly, throughout the 20th century, there would be no more audacious and initially unsettling act of musical reinterpretation than Gould’s debut studio recording.
这种独特之处有很多。演奏时，古尔德并不像一名得体的演奏者那样气派地昂着头。改装后的琴凳使他的脸可以贴近琴键，他一边弹奏一边哼出声来。演奏前，他将手臂在热水中浸泡了达20分钟。此外，他带着各式各样的药品，还自己带了瓶水。在1955年，似乎只有霍华德·休斯(Howard Hughes)才会这样做。正是这些早期被人大肆宣扬的特点，有助于在其短暂的一生中塑造出了古尔德神话：一个勇于突破，又让周边的人略感不安的天才。同样，在整个20世纪，没有比古尔德录制的首张唱片更加大胆，且从起初就令人不安的音乐作品再诠释了。
(译者注：Howard Hughes，美国传奇商业大亨、电影人，性情古怪，患有强迫症)
With his 1955 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the young pianist made a compelling case for a work that, at the time, was considered an obscure keyboard composition by an otherwise imposing master of Baroque music. Gould made his counter-argument for the piece’s rightful prominence by taking wild liberties with the source. In addition to playing the work on a piano instead of on the 18th-century era-appropriate harpsichord, Gould rushed tempos and varied his attack with aggression. His body flailed up and down his creaky chair, displaying melodramatic physical gestures—the very cliche of a young genius at work. But instead of seeming like an impudent youngster, Gould’s innovations signaled a clear love for the source material. He took the piece’s unusual status—a theme-and-variation work so varied that it could be hard for a lay audience to follow—and realized that it could be performed with modernist vigor, full of wild twists of character.
这位年轻钢琴家于1955年录制的巴赫《哥德堡变奏曲》是令人叹服的，该乐曲曾被当时另一位颇具影响的巴洛克音乐大师认为是部晦涩难解的键盘演奏曲。古尔德为这部作品应有的地位做出了反驳，他以演奏赋予了原曲以奔放和自由的能量。古尔德用钢琴而不是适合于18世纪风格的大键琴来弹奏，此外，他还激进地使用疾拍和多变的起奏。他的身体在嘎吱作响的椅子上上下晃动，做出夸张的姿势——这种情况，在一名年轻的天才演奏时司空见惯。但是，古尔德的创作并非像鲁莽放肆的年轻人那样，而是清晰地传达出了他对原曲的热爱。这部不同寻常的作品由一支主题曲加上变奏曲组成，而古尔德的演绎是如此多变，以至于会使外行的听众（译者注：指非音乐专业的人士）难以领会并意识到，它还能以现代主义的生命力，用充满强烈错综纠结的个性方式被演绎出来。
Gould drilled his famous technique over time, using an obscure practice known as “finger tapping” to produce muscle memory in his fingers—thereby allowing for dizzying flurries of notes with astonishing control and minimal physical exertion. And at a time when the future members of the Beatles were still obsessing over British skiffle bands, Gould was pioneering the use of the studio as an instrument by splicing together different takes: finding startling collisions of mood that could help drive his conception of a work.
古尔德长期钻研他著名的演奏技法，用一种不甚明了的所谓“手指敲击”法来练习，使手指产生肌肉记忆，进而使他能够以惊人的控制力和最小的体能消耗，疾速地挥洒出令人眩晕的音符。当后来的甲壳虫乐队成员醉心于英国噪音爵士乐队时，古尔德已开创性地利用录音室进行不同片段的剪接：找到激　动人心的冲突气氛，以有助于驱动作品实现他的音乐理念。
（译者注：噪音爵士乐、史基佛音乐，20世纪50年代的一种流行音乐，其乐器常由演奏者自制。）
In its fervor for relating Gould’s peculiar behaviors, Columbia’s first press release neglected to mention all the substantive ways in which the pianist was revolutionizing the art of interpretation. The critics, however, did notice. Gould’s Goldbergs received a raft of rave reviews from the New York Times, Newsweek, and Musical America, among others. Even writers who were unsure if his was a respectable way to approach Bach’s sublime music counted themselves impressed by Gould’s array of approaches—including his dancing sprightliness, a dashing top-gear of speed, and swooning sense of drama. And Gould proved a forceful advocate for his own ideas about the piece.
哥伦比亚公司的第一份报道热衷于描述古尔德的独特行为，而完全忽略了这位钢琴家革命性的艺术演绎方式。不过，评论家们无疑注意到了。古尔德的《哥德堡变奏曲》羸得了包括《纽约时报》, 《新闻周刊》，和《音乐美国》等媒体在内的广泛赞誉。即使那些并不确定他的演奏是否尊重了巴赫高雅音乐的评论者，也被古尔德的一系列演绎方式所打动，包括他音乐中起舞似的欢快、迅猛的疾速和令人迷狂的戏剧性变化。古尔德也证明了，他就是自己对这部乐曲所持见解的强有力的表述者。
In erudite liner notes that accompanied the first LP issue in 1956, Gould writes about the strangeness of Bach’s theme-and-variation work: “...one might justifiably expect that … the principal pursuit of the variations would be the illumination of the motivic facets within the melodic complex of the Aria theme. However such is not the case, for the thematic substance, a docile but richly embellished soprano line, possesses an intrinsic homogeneity which bequeaths nothing to posterity and which, so far as motivic representation is concerned, is totally forgotten during the 30 variations.”
1956年的第一版密纹唱片随附着富于学术性的原版说明，古尔德籍此写出了巴赫主题与变奏作品的奇特之处：“人们有理由认为……变奏曲的主要追求是对主题咏叹调复合旋律中乐旨的各个方面予以阐释。然而，关于涉及主题的内容，情况并非如此。这是一段温和却有华丽装饰音的高音部曲调，有着内在的同一性，而这却丝毫没有传递给后续者，就所关注的主题的表现而言，在30支变奏曲中完全被遗忘了。
It’s a fascinating read of the piece—even if it seems trollish to accuse Bach’s Aria for adding “nothing to posterity.” (At least Gould was consistent in his dislike of obvious, top-line melodies. He didn’t much care for Italian opera, either.) Still, it’s true that the power associated with the culmination of Gould's Goldbergs—when the Aria returns—has something to do with how far the listener has traveled since the opening. If you want to make that Aria really floor people at the end, why not blow out the contrasts between the variations as you play them?
这篇说明读来赏心悦目，即使其指责巴赫的主题“与后续毫无关联”的提法似乎会引发争议(至少古尔德一贯不喜欢显著的高音旋律。他也不太喜欢意大利歌剧——原注)。尽管如此，当主题再度奏响，对古尔德演奏高潮所蕴含力量的感受，与听众自开场以来对乐曲的领悟程度有关。如果希望最后的主题反复能够打动听众，为什么不在演奏变奏曲期间弥除其反差呢？
Gould makes an argument for his own radical vision of how the piece should be played. He sees his own jagged cadence not in defiance of but as a requisite to Bach’s score. Even listeners who put the Goldbergs on as background music are likely to sit up and pay attention when Gould pours it on during Variation No. 5. With that one far edge of intensity established, his ruminative way of handling Bach’s “Canons” is far more seductive. Gould’s lightning-fast runs tend to get all the press, but they cast into sharp relief his poetic handling of the so-called “black pearl” Variation No. 25. The power of Gould’s 1955 Goldbergs comes from the contrasts that Gould chooses to emphasize.
对于应当如何演奏这部乐曲，古尔德提出了自己激进的观点。他认为自己突兀的、抑扬顿挫式的处理非但不是对巴赫曲谱的反叛，还是其本身必须的要求。即使是把《哥德堡变奏曲》作为背景音乐播放的听众，也很可能会在在古尔德挥洒般地奏起第5号变奏曲时被吸引而起身关注它。在较远处确立了这样一个有强度的边界后，他对巴赫的“卡农”那沉思式地处理便更富魁力。古尔德闪电般的快速弹奏似乎羸得了所有媒体舆论，而他们明显地推崇其对第25号变奏曲，即所谓 “黑珍珠”，那充满诗意地演绎。1955年版《哥德堡变奏曲》的力量来即自于古尔德对轻重处理上的选择而产生的反差。
Gould’s first version of the Goldbergs reportedly sold 40,000 copies in its first five years: A considerable amount for any classical recording at any time, but particularly notable at the dawn of the LP era. The pop-cultural primacy of Gould’s first take on the Goldbergs also fostered some detractors, among them some Bach specialists like Wanda Landowska who were also interested in rescuing the piece from its relative obscurity. Late in life, Gould joinoed their ranks, offering some withering criticisms of his 1955 recording. In 1981, the pianist told the critic and biographer Tim Page that the 1955 handling of the “black pearl” variation had become particularly unwelcome to his own ears: “It seems to say—Please Take Note: This Is Tragedy. You know, it just doesn’t have the dignity to bear its suffering with a hint of quiet resignation.”
据报道，古尔德的第一版《哥德堡变奏曲》在前五年里销售了４万张——这对于任何时期的任何古典唱片而言，都是相当可观的，尤其值得注意的是，那还是在密纹唱片时代的初期。古尔德第一次录制的《哥德堡变奏曲》在流行文化中的强势表现也催生一些批评者,包括一些巴赫研究专家，如旺达·兰多夫斯卡(Wanda Landowska)，他们也有意将这部作品从相对默默无闻中发掘出来。晚年，古尔德加入了他们的行列，对1955年的录音提出了一些令人沮丧的批评。1981年，这位钢琴家对评论家兼传记作家蒂姆·佩奇(Tim Page)说，1955年对“黑珍珠”的演绎，尤其使他失望：“这就好像是在说，请注意：这是一场悲剧。你知道么，而它竟没有尊贵的风度以哪怕一丝的安然来担承所经受的苦难。”
(译者注：Wanda Landowska，波兰裔法国大键琴演奏家。她是首位用大键琴录制巴赫的《哥德堡变奏曲》的音乐家。)
The idea of judging his famous 1955 recording on the basis of those criteria seems like a category error—or a set-up destined to prompt a negative assessment of his first record. The latter possibility is at least plausible, since when Gould offered this self-criticism to Page, he was doing so as part of a new publicity campaign. After being so closely identified with the Goldbergs for decades, Gould had made the rare decision to re-record a work already in his repertoire.
想基于这种标准来评判1955年那张著名唱片似乎是归类失误，或者是一个注定会引向负面评价的圈套。后者至少有其可能存在的合理性。因为当古尔德向佩奇提出这种自我批评时，这种做法其实是一个新的宣传运动的一部分。在古尔德与《哥德堡变奏曲》的认同度密切关联了几十年后，他做出了一个罕有的决定：重新录制一部在其曲目中已然存在的作品。
His 1981 recording of the Goldberg Variations is still recognizable as Gould: the strutting precision and emphasis on counterpoint apparent. So too is Gould’s famously divisive practice of humming along with his playing (a natural trait of Gould’s that seemed to flower into a deliberate affectation sometime between 1955 and 1981). But in the interim, much else has changed. There’s less swing in Gould’s playing; even when he turns up the tempi, it feels considered and autumnal.
1981年录制的《哥德堡变奏曲》仍然是可辨识的古尔德演奏：有着畅然行进中的精确性和对于对位明显的强调。同样，在演奏中仍有他争议性的哼鸣声(古尔德自然表现出来的一个特点，似乎在1955年至1981年间的某个时期形成的一种精心而刻意的小动作)。但在此期间，其他方面发生了很大变化。演奏时的身体晃动减少了，即使在加速弹奏时，给人的感觉也是经过考量的，成熟的。
Variation No. 5 is played in 37 seconds, the identical span of time Gould needed to burn through it in 1955. But in the 1981 variations, Gould makes good on his desire for dignity. The 1955 rendition of No. 5 has a compelling, nervy energy; the 1981 version takes a greater sense of self-possession. The ability to find that much expressive room inside a similar tempo resulted in Gould’s second masterstroke with the Goldbergs.This range of musical investigation signals something profound. Two different approaches to the same notes can say a great deal about how one ages and how tastes can move over time.
与1955年版一样，第5号变奏曲的演奏时长为37秒。但在1981年的版本中，古尔德实现了他对尊贵的渴望。1955年版的第5号变奏曲有种紧促有力，扣人心弦的能量；而1981年版则感觉更加镇静，自信和自制。正是这种在同样的行进速度中发掘出如此丰富的表现力空间的能力，成就了古尔德对《哥德堡变奏曲》的第二次精妙演绎。这番对音乐的深入探究带来了深刻的启示。对于相同音符的两种不同诠释，能够很好地表明一个人的年纪和品味是如何与时俱进的。
Gould died just days after Columbia released the second Goldberg set. His death enhanced the idea of this being a grand, final statement—as though touching the work again had created a fateful resolution for his startling debut. But even if Gould were still with us, the 1981 Goldberg performance would sound necessary. Here, Gould luxuriates in the stately character of the “French” overture (No. 16)—and its pivot away from the prior, minor-key canon—with greater pomp than on his first try. It’s just that the fun never spills over into abandon, as on Gould’s first pass. For all his eccentricities, Gould’s most striking trait may have been his ability to revise his own carefully considered understanding of a work that was important to him.
在哥伦比亚唱片公司发行第二版《哥德堡变奏曲》几天后，古尔德便去世了。他的离世强化了这样一种观念，即该版的演绎是对《哥德堡变奏曲》最佳与终极的呈现，仿佛再次触碰这部作品为他惊世的首演做出了宿命式的了结。不过，即使古尔德仍然在世，1981年的演奏听来也将是不可或缺的。在此，古尔德酣畅地沉醉于“法国”序曲(第16号变奏曲)的富丽堂皇，它的共同和弦偏离于先前的小调卡农，相较第一次演奏则更加宏阔庄严。而这种沉醉却不会像第一次演奏时那样放纵、沉溺。在古尔德的各种乖僻特征中，最显著的一点或许就是，他有能力重新解读一部自己曾悉心思虑、且对自身意义重大的作品。
Both interpretations have their uses. Along with Bob Dylan’s “Love and Theft”, which I’d purchased at 12:01 am on Sept. 11, 2001, at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square, Gould’s 1981 Goldberg set was the album I played most often in the days that followed. With the ashen smell still in the air, and the streets south of 14th Street devoid of car traffic, most who lived inside the perimeter established by the National Guard spent some portion of each day balancing requirements of mourning and anger with the search for a new equilibrium—a way to feel less anxious that didn’t also involve pretending that something traumatic hadn’t just taken place.
这两种演绎各有其效用。２００１年9月1１日半夜12点01分，在联合广场的维珍大剧院，连同鲍勃·迪伦的《爱情与盗窃》，我购买了古尔德1981年版的《哥德堡变奏曲》。其后的日子里这成为我最常播放的专辑。空气中仍然弥漫着尘灰的味道，第十四街以南的街道没有车辆，大多居住在国民警卫队所设立的警戒线以内的人，每天都会用一部分时间来平复哀悼和愤怒，重新寻找内心的平衡，以此作为一种减轻焦虑的方式，但却不可能假装刚刚的那些创伤没有发生过。
I owned both versions of Gould’s Goldbergs because I had been told by guidebooks that this was a prerequisite for caring about classical music (it is.) Until that week, I’d spent most of my time with the 1955 recording—identifying with its direct access to youthful exuberance. Now, however, the high energy of that edition seemed a poor fit to the mood. The dignity Gould had intended to emphasize in 1981 came through clearly.
我拥有了古尔德两个版本的《哥德堡变奏曲》，因为音乐指南讲，这是古典乐迷首要的必需品(的确如此——原注)。在那一周之前，我大部分时间都花在了1955年版的唱片上，其显著特色便是洋溢着青春活力。然而，如今该版本的高能似乎并不符合人们的兴致。古尔德想要强调的尊严与高贵在1981年的演奏中清晰地传达了出来。
Record collecting and music appreciation often turn on arguments about rankings, peerlessness, and the greatest-of-all-time. Classical fans play this game as aggressively as anyone—so hard that they occasionally seem to rule out the possibility of any worthy new music being made for traditional classical instruments. And we do this with Gould’s Goldbergs, too. Think fast: 1955 or 1981? Sometimes that’s fun. But these recordings’ mutual portrait of variations held in a single mind—one capable of such deliberate differences of opinion with itself—seems not just like something you’re well advised to have in a music collection, but instead like an approach to life worth exploring and emulating.
唱片收藏和音乐鉴赏常会引发关于排行、 “无与伦比”和“史上最伟大的”之类的争论。古典乐迷同样热衷于此。但这太难了，以至于他们有时似乎排除了为以传统古典乐器演奏的乐曲创作任何有价值的新音乐的可能性。这也发生在古尔德的《哥德堡变奏曲》上。快速反应：想到的是1955年版还是1981年版？有时候很有趣。但这些录音，对变奏曲的不同演绎，存在于同一个思想当中，一个本身能够如此严谨而从容地容纳不同音乐理解的思想——这似乎不只是听从建议，收藏唱片的事情，而更像是一种值得据此深入探索和追寻生命与生活意义的方式。
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