室內樂大觀園

（刊登於《美樂集》2019年10月號）

室內音樂是古典音樂的一種重要類型，早期的室內音樂是指在「家」中演奏的音樂，使其與在教堂演奏的宗教音樂和在劇場演奏的戲劇音樂區分出來。不過「家」的定義很廣闊，無論是宮廷的音樂室，還是一般的民居，都可算是「家」。但不論是哪種「家」，一般都認為是空間較細的地方，因此演出的編制不大，每個樂部由一位樂師負責，並沒有任何獨奏樂器。

時而今日，室內音樂不再局限於「家」中演奏，但不變的是音樂的親密性：一來室內音樂的編制較細，令樂師與樂師之間的距離拉近；二來每位演奏者負責一個樂部，有同等的重要性；三來是演出沒有指揮，全憑樂師之間的默契互相配合。

對於作曲家來說，室內音樂是一種「試金石」。藉著創作室內音樂，他們能夠認識各種樂器的特色，嘗試不同的組合，試驗各種音色的配搭。而且室內音樂較大型管弦音樂更便易演出，讓作曲家有更多發表作品的機會。

更多欣賞室內樂的機會

近年，香港觀眾不乏欣賞室內音樂的機會，不少組織都舉辦室內樂音樂會，邀請世界各地的好手來港獻技，例如飛躍演奏香港的「比爾斯飛躍演奏音樂節」（前稱「香港國際室內樂音樂節」）、香港科技大學的「創意間的親暱」等。現在香港愛樂者將有多一個渠道欣賞高質的室內音樂，由十月起香港電台第四台將會連續十四個星期轉播由紐約林肯中心室樂協會主辦的室內音樂會。

這個室內音樂會系列是由紐約林肯中心室樂協會的藝術總監大提琴家David Finckel與鋼琴家吳菡聯手策劃。其實二人曾數次來港演出，最近一次是去年於香港演藝學院演出，吳菡表示不但對當時熱情的觀眾印象深刻，甚至認為他們的修養是亞洲地區最好之一，亦覺得參與大師班的學生有很高的水準。作為室內樂演奏者，她認為其難度在於要對樂器有完全的掌控、非常敏銳的聽覺和快速的反應，這樣才能跟其它演奏者達到即時的「對話」。雖然室內樂是一種精巧而難度很高的樂種，但回報同樣地高：因為她身為鋼琴家，有時在練習室練習時少不免感到孤單，能夠跟別人一起排練室內樂，那是一份難以比擬的喜悅。

紐約林肯中心室樂協會每年為電台及網絡上的觀眾舉辦52場音樂會，儘管這次只安排播放其中十四套節目，但當中包羅萬有，由經典曲目到現代作品，樂曲時代跨度近四百年，可謂應有盡有。參與的音樂家眾多，當中既有室內樂「老手」，包括香港樂迷熟悉的林昭亮，也有通過他們的The Bowers Program而加入的新進年輕音樂家。當然，要把那些音樂家撮合在一起，殊不簡單。吳菡表示策劃節目時需瞭解各人認識的曲目、演奏風格，然後為樂師尋找合適的配搭和安排他們喜愛演奏的樂曲。

吳菡還給各位一些聆聽室內音樂的「貼士」：她覺得室內樂是一種親密的樂種，大家可留意樂器間對話時的細膩變化，也就是表演者如何配合他人的聲音和回應別人的樂句。她認為很多室內樂作品是在不尋常的環境下創作出來，亦是作曲家的個人宣言，因此她希望聽眾能多點認識作品、表演者和作曲家，這樣能更融入這個熱愛室內樂的「大家庭」中。

A kaleidoscopic view on Chamber Music

Chamber music is an important genre of classical music. In early day, chamber music referred to the music performed at “home”, so as to be distinguished from sacred music and theatrical music played in church and theater. Yet “home” was loosely defined, it can be a music chamber in palace or a room in common house. In any case, it was generally understood as a place with limited area. Therefore, the size of the ensemble would be small, one player to a part and no solo instrument was involved.

Chamber music is now no longer limited to be performed at “home”. What remain unchanged is its intimacy. This nature comes from the facts that small instrumentation allows the players to get physically closer; each player shares equal importance as each part is played by one performer; they play without conductor so that the performance is greatly relied on the tacit understanding among themselves.

On the other hand, chamber music is a “touchstone” for the composers. They can learn more about the instruments and try different combination of timbre through chamber music compositions, so as to improve their compositional skill. Besides, chamber music is easier and more economical to perform, which give a higher chance for the composers to have their works performed compared to orchestral works.

More opportunity to listen to chamber music

It’s not hard to find chamber music performance in Hong Kong as there are many organizations who are keen on inviting talented players from all around the world to perform in Hong Kong, such as Premiere Performances of Hong Kong holds Beare's Premiere Music Festival (formerly known as Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival) annually; and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology holds Intimacy of Creativity. Now there is one more channel for music lovers in Hong Kong to enjoy chamber music. Starting from October, RTHK radio 4 will broadcast the chamber music concert series presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre for 14 consecutive weeks.

This series was curated by the artistic directors cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre. Both musicians have performed in Hong Kong, their last performance in Hong Kong was held in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Wu Han said she was enormously impressed by the enthusiasm of the audience, and also by the high level of playing of the young musicians in the master classes. She even thought that the sophistication of the audience is among the best in the Asian region.

As a chamber music player, Wu Han believes it is one of the most sophisticated art forms. It requires complete control of the instrument, highly sensitive ears, and very quick reflection in order to create the most immediate conversation. The intimate conversational aspect of this music making is so important for her as a pianist. When she tackles solo repertoire, she feels like lonely animals locked up in the practice rooms, but when she plays chamber music it is really one of the greatest joys of being a musician.

Chamber Music Society has 52 programs a year to serve the radio and internet audiences. Even though only 14 of them will be broadcasted, there are a rich variety of repertoires included in the programs. The programs cover almost 400 years of chamber music repertoire, from classic repertoires to contemporary works, from German pieces to Russian repertoires to American works. It surely can meet everyone’s musical taste while introducing new piece to the audiences. There are many musicians involved as well. Some of them are veteran, first-class musicians who have devoted their careers in playing chamber music, including Cho-Liang Lin who is already a familiar face to the Hong Kong audience. They also present the younger generation of superstar musicians, joining Chamber Music Society through their Bowers Program to play chamber music.

It is no easy task to put all these performers together. Wu Han expresses it is the artistic directors’ job to know everyone’s repertoire and playing style. The magic is finding the right match and the right passion for the specific program that they will love to play.

Lastly, Wu Han has some ‘tips’ for the audience when listening to chamber music. She thinks chamber music is such an intimate art form, so she advises the audience to pay special attention to the nuanced details happening in the conversation between instruments - how each musician matches each other’s sound and replies to one another's’ musical phrases. She believes strongly in the audience learning more about the pieces they are listening to, as many chamber music works are created under unusual circumstances and are personal statements from the composers. She invites the audience to learn more about each piece and learn more about these incredible musicians and composers so they can feel like they are a part of the exclusive family who all love this art form.