技巧、音樂雙絕的完美「Ling Ling」:蔡珂宜的《梁祝》與帕格尼尼

  對於大部分台灣愛樂者來說,初次聽聞新加坡小提琴家「蔡珂宜」(Chloe Chua)這個名字,應該是來自YouTuber「雙琴俠」(TwoSet Violin)的影片。首先是二○一八年的「Ling Ling究竟是男是女?」。Ling Ling是雙琴俠虛構的一名超完美小提琴家,性別不明、背景不清。蔡珂宜在二○一八年與澳大利亞選手李映衡(Christian Li)並列曼紐因國際小提琴大賽少年組首獎後,雙琴俠以「可能找到Ling Ling」為題,介紹她在曼紐因國際小提琴大賽演奏《卡門幻想曲》片段。當時年僅十一歲的蔡珂宜看來只是個小娃兒,以無瑕的技巧,大將級的台風,讓兩位主持人露出下巴掉下來的驚恐表情,讓觀眾印象深刻。
  兩年後,十三歲的蔡珂宜首度出現在「雙琴俠」的影片中。這次她本人現身,示範指導這兩個比她年長超過一輪的大哥哥演奏米爾斯坦(Nathan Milstein)炫技作品《帕格尼尼風》(Paganiniana)。蔡珂宜從此成為雙琴俠之友,接著又在節目出現數次,或者參加異想天開的「Ling Ling 挑戰」,或者與雙琴俠合演短劇⋯⋯這些影片看似笑鬧胡搞,背後卻顯露出她具有超凡的技藝,以及紮實的古典音樂知識,為蔡珂宜打開不少知名度。

成長背景與音樂啟蒙

  蔡珂宜出生於二○○七年,父親是喜愛聲樂的商人,母親則是一名鋼琴老師。母親決定在蔡珂宜兩歲半的時候教她鋼琴,純粹是發現女兒對於音準的辨識度很高,並且希望孩子能感受藝術的美。為了讓孩子與同齡的人一起學習,父母在女兒四歲的時候把她送到南洋藝術學院青少年天才藝術學校。不過,鋼琴班只收五歲以上的孩子,蔡珂宜只能進入招收四歲幼兒的小提琴班,一直到八歲才把心力全部放在小提琴上。為什麼後來選擇小提琴?除了當時個子小,覺得比鋼琴更能掌握之外,蔡珂宜認為小提琴比較能表達自己心裡的感覺。從六歲多開始指導她的小提琴老師殷柯,也認為蔡珂宜的資質足以選擇走上小提琴專業的路。

  接下來蔡珂宜的經歷和大部分學生一樣,除了上正規學校,也不斷報名參加小提琴比賽。小學五年級在瑞士日內瓦贏得曼紐因國際小提琴大賽少年組第一名以後,為了兼顧課業以及應付每天六小時的練琴壓力,家中決定讓蔡珂宜在家自學,把注意力放在準備接踵而來的演出邀約上,預計二○二四年下半年前往德國留學。
與新加坡交響樂團合作

  得獎後的蔡珂宜與新加坡交響樂團的合作場次大增,二○二二年樂季成為樂團最年輕的駐團藝術家。二○二三年與新加坡交響樂團推出得獎曲目《四季》專輯,接著二○二四年出版這張《梁祝》與帕格尼尼第一號小提琴協奏曲,都是實況錄音。

  蔡珂宜在兩張唱片的解說冊內都寫了短文,講述自己對於專輯選曲、合作夥伴的想法。無論在專輯解說冊或是接受媒體訪問,蔡珂宜都提到梁祝的愛情故事、陳鋼小提琴曲《陽光照耀著塔什庫爾干》裡的異族情調,以及帕格尼尼第一號小提琴協奏曲的技巧;而唱片解說冊裡的專文,是我看過最好的英文版《梁祝》介紹。但是以音樂詮釋來說,蔡珂宜演奏這兩部華人作品的故事性、戲劇性並不是那麼強。相反的,每一個樂句都極盡細膩唯美,把《梁祝》演奏得像是西方浪漫派作品,東方色彩只存在於表面的音樂旋律;《陽光照耀著塔什庫爾干》則像是薩拉沙泰的作品,或是林姆斯基─科薩科夫《西班牙隨想曲》。

  來自委內瑞拉,在德國接受音樂教育的新加坡交響樂團年輕助理指揮巴拉茲(Rodolfo Barráez)與蔡珂宜都是傾向從西方的觀點來看《梁祝》與《陽光照耀著塔什庫爾干》,但是在一些需要戲劇性的段落上,長笛首席金塔(Jin Ta)與大提琴首席吳沛軒(Ng Pei-Sian)的表現讓人無法忽視。尤其是金塔,那是獨奏家等級的演出!除了樂曲一開始那一段靈活而且音色變化多端的長笛獨奏,還有「化蝶」裡長笛與小提琴獨奏的對話,小提琴、大提琴與長笛在「樓台會」裡的交織,還有小提琴、大提琴在「長亭惜別」都是非常精彩的段落。聽聽看,除了旋律優美之外,是不是有故事多了?
技藝與音樂性的完美結合

  這張唱片的帕格尼尼第一號小提琴協奏曲比較特別的是,樂團部分採用帕格尼尼最初的管弦樂配器,也就是拿掉娛樂性十足的打擊樂器、減少管樂器數量,讓它更接近古典風格,把焦點放在小提琴獨奏上。這部協奏曲塞滿帕格尼尼最具代表性的各種技巧,像是快速音階、雙音和弦、左手撥弦、雙泛音、急速跳⋯⋯等,最後則是獨奏家的耐力。不妨看看蔡珂宜在音樂會上演奏第三樂章的實況。看過雙琴俠影片一定不會懷疑蔡珂宜的技巧,但是這樣乾乾淨淨,感受不到炫技壓力的帕格尼尼,卻是很少見讓人覺得舒服的詮釋。

  為了配合專輯宣傳,蔡珂宜在唱片出版後又出現在雙琴俠的頻道。這次她同樣以老師的身分,指導雙琴俠拉奏法國小提琴家索瑞(Émile Sauret)為帕格尼尼第一號小提琴協奏曲所寫的裝飾奏。索瑞編寫的裝飾奏公認是最難的片段之一,除了繁難的技巧,它同時要求音樂性和表現力。先看過蔡珂宜對裝飾奏技巧、詮釋的拆解再聽聽她在音樂會上的演出,是不是更能理解音樂背後的技巧呢?現階段蔡珂宜對於克服演奏技巧有著無以倫比的天賦,同時又兼具渾然天成的美感,未來如能進一步塑造自己的樂曲風格,一定會是這個世代最亮眼的演奏家之一。


For most Taiwanese music enthusiasts, their first encounter with Singaporean violinist Chloe Chua likely came through the YouTube channel "TwoSet Violin". In 2018, after Chua, then 11, won the first prize in the Junior Division of the Menuhin International Violin Competition, her performance of "Carmen Fantasy" caught the eye of TwoSet Violin. They introduced her as a potential "real-life Ling Ling", a fictional, perfect violinist in their videos. Her extraordinary skill and stage presence left a strong impression on viewers.

In 2020, Chua made her first personal appearance on TwoSet Violin's channel at age 13, demonstrating Nathan Milstein's "Paganiniana" and tutoring the duo. Since then, she has become a recurring guest, showcasing her exceptional technique and deep understanding of classical music while gaining international recognition.

Born in 2007, Chua's musical journey began at 2.5 years old when her mother, a piano teacher, noticed her sensitivity to pitch. Although she started with piano, Chua switched to violin at age 4 due to enrollment constraints at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and eventually committed to the instrument fully by age 8. Her violin teacher, Yin Ke, recognized her talent early on, encouraging her pursuit of a professional violin career.

After her victory at the Menuhin Competition, balancing schoolwork and six hours of daily practice became a challenge. Her family opted for homeschooling to focus on performances and competitions. She plans to study in Germany starting in late 2024.

Chua has since collaborated extensively with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), becoming their youngest Artist-in-Residence for the 2022 season. In 2023, she released a critically acclaimed recording of "The Four Seasons" with the SSO, followed by a 2024 album featuring "The Butterfly Lovers" and Paganini's "Violin Concerto No. 1". These recordings highlight her precision and elegance, blending Western romanticism with the Eastern melodies of "The Butterfly Lovers" and "Sunshine over Tashkurgan". However, some critics note that her interpretation leans more on beauty and finesse than dramatic storytelling.

Her rendition of Paganini's "Violin Concerto No. 1" notably uses the composer's original orchestration, focusing on the violin's brilliance rather than a full orchestral spectacle. Chua's clear, effortless technique offers a refreshing take on this notoriously challenging piece.

To promote her albums, Chua continues to appear on TwoSet Violin's channel, recently guiding them through Émile Sauret's notoriously difficult cadenza for Paganini's concerto. Her performances reveal a blend of exceptional technical mastery and innate musicality. With further stylistic development, Chloe Chua is poised to become one of her generation's most outstanding violinists.

*This English version is a concise summary of the original Chinese article.*
The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto
CHEN Sunshine Over Tashkurgan
PAGANINI Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, op. 6

Chloe Chua (蔡珂宜), Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Rodolfo Barráez, Mario Venzago (Paganini)
9-11 November 2023 (Butterfly, Sunshine), Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore
2 September 2023 (Paganini) , Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore

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