藝術、技巧更臻成熟：李映衡通過經典作品試煉

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　　二○一八年，十歲的李映衡（Christian Li）在曼紐因國際小提琴大賽少年小提琴家組得到首獎，震驚樂壇。這位來自澳洲墨爾本的華裔少年自五歲學琴、十歲奪冠、十二歲與Decca簽約，這樣的成長軌跡，讓他成為古典樂壇「神童現象」的代表之一。過去我曾經介紹過他的首張專輯《四季》以及第二張《發現孟德爾頌》，討論過他的音樂語言如何兼具嚴謹與自由，色彩斑斕又富有來自直覺的即興精神。如今來到他錄音生涯的第三章，《柴科夫斯基小提琴協奏曲》不僅是挑戰小提琴經典試金石，更是他從少年走向成熟藝術家的證明。

　　如同前一張《發現孟德爾頌》，這張專輯的曲目安排也是以小提琴協奏曲為核心，搭配風格相應的小品。協奏曲由李映衡與瓦西里‧彼得連科（Vasily Petrenko）指揮的皇家利物浦愛樂合作，專輯開場則安排兩首柴科夫斯基芭蕾選曲改編，由保羅‧坎貝爾（Paul Campbell）重新配器的《天鵝湖》〈俄羅斯舞曲〉與《胡桃鉗》〈花之圓舞曲〉，在雅沙‧封‧德‧戈爾茨（Jascha von der Goltz）指揮下，為後續的協奏曲鋪陳情緒氛圍。協奏曲之後是三首收尾的小提琴與鋼琴二重奏小品，形成從高張力過渡至寧靜沉澱的結構。整體安排具備清晰的起承轉合，展現出有層次的聆聽設計。

　　保羅‧坎貝爾的改編曲是整張專輯最大的驚喜之一。他把柴科夫斯基兩首選自芭蕾舞劇的知名舞曲，重新編寫成小提琴與管弦樂版本。既保留原作特色，也為獨奏者擴展和強化表現空間。《天鵝湖》〈俄羅斯舞曲〉原為舞劇中的群舞段落，具有鮮明節奏與民俗風格。改編版本延續原作的舞曲動能，再透過小提琴與管弦樂的交錯對話，突顯主旋律與裝飾動機，展現出小提琴的華麗技巧與節奏控制力。他的配器手法紮實緊湊且富於變化。相較之下，《胡桃鉗》〈花之圓舞曲〉的改編則特意展現小提琴抒情與歌唱性的一面。旋律線條更為細膩，裝飾音與聲部交錯的設計，讓小提琴獨奏有充分空間展現樂句細節與音色處理，使作品既保有原來的華麗壯闊，又呈現出更個人化的敘事層次。這兩首改編曲風格對比鮮明，一剛一柔，帶來很好的聽覺效果，像兩道精美前菜，在重頭曲目之前預先鋪設情感與風格的基礎。

　　在〈俄羅斯舞曲〉中，可以看出李映衡演奏時的專注，幾乎是每個呼吸、每個動作都希望把音樂呵護到無微不至。他俐落的運弓，展現出精準的節奏控制與強勁的爆發力，營造出強烈的戲劇張力與舞蹈動感。《胡桃鉗》〈花之圓舞曲〉則著重旋律的線條美感，自發的微妙彈性節奏處理，也讓音樂更具表情與歌唱性，正適合柴科夫斯基這首感情豐沛、戲劇性超強的作品。

　　值得注意的是，協奏曲的錄音方式也有別於傳統。獨奏者一般都是站在樂團前方，李映衡卻是站到樂團中央。這是音樂家與錄音團隊商量後的結果，理由是李映衡希望在演出中能更深度與其他演奏者融為一體，直接以眼神與指揮溝通交流，提高默契與即時反應，與樂團音樂家之間也能相互聆聽與回應，讓彼此的呼應更為自然緊密。建議樂迷直接聆聽唱片成品，而非透過YouTube影片下論斷，因為串流音質的壓縮會流失細節，難以完整體驗真正雕琢入微的音色與動態。

　　李映衡的特色並非自我中心的炫技，也不是標新立異，而是注重音樂的情感傳遞與結構邏輯的清晰，因此有些段落速度雖然偏慢，但是宛如拿放大鏡看音樂一般，幾乎是逐字逐句的雕磨，整體效果卻是張力十足，不會有拖沓感。我無法確定是不是因為站在樂團中間，感受被樂團聲音包圍，讓李映衡下意識加深運弓的壓力或是放慢弓速，但是這種演奏法的確讓他演奏的低音域音色更飽滿，而高音域也拋出明亮、純淨與穿透力的音色。瓦西里‧彼得連科的伴奏不僅穩健，重點是與李映衡展現出極佳的默契。聽聽第三樂章這一段木管對話，再把音樂往前倒個二到三分鐘然後聽下來，獨奏與樂團的聲線唱和，以及說變就變的聲音情緒精準切換，展現迷人的音樂對話。

　　綜觀整張專輯，李映衡展現出對柴科夫斯基音樂的深刻理解與控制能力。他的演奏結構清晰、情感節制，避免過度誇飾，展現出日益成熟的藝術語法。從早期的自由直覺風格，到如今對整體結構鋪陳的嚴謹掌控，這張專輯無疑是他走向成熟階段的重要里程碑，也提供聽眾重新認識其音樂成長歷程的契機。

In 2018, at just ten years old, Christian Li stunned the classical music world by winning first prize in the junior category of the Menuhin International Violin Competition. Born in Melbourne to a Chinese-Australian family, he began playing the violin at five, won a major competition at ten, and signed with Decca Records at twelve. His latest release, Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, marks a significant step in his journey from prodigy to mature artist.

Like his previous album "Discovering Mendelssohn", this recording centers around a violin concerto and pairs it with stylistically related short pieces. The concerto was recorded with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vasily Petrenko. Two orchestral adaptations from Tchaikovsky ballets—"Russian Dance" from Swan Lake and "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker—open the album. These were arranged by Paul Campbell and conducted by Jascha von der Goltz. The final part of the album includes three gentle violin-piano duos, forming a well-balanced musical arc from high intensity to quiet reflection.

Paul Campbell's adaptations are a highlight. He transforms these well-known ballet pieces into violin and orchestra showcases, allowing Li to demonstrate both his technical brilliance and expressive depth. The "Russian Dance" is vibrant and energetic, with strong rhythms and folk character, while the "Waltz of the Flowers" focuses on lyrical beauty and rich tone colors. These two pieces offer contrasting moods—one bold, one delicate—like appetizers before the main concerto.

In his performance of the "Russian Dance", Li's focus and precision are clear. His bow control and rhythmic energy create strong dramatic tension. In the "Waltz of the Flowers", he brings out the music's expressive singing quality with subtle timing flexibility, ideal for Tchaikovsky's emotional and theatrical style.

An unusual feature of the recording is Li's position during the concerto: instead of standing in front of the orchestra, he stands within it. This choice—made after discussions with the recording team—was intended to create stronger eye contact and musical connection with the orchestra musicians. The result is a more intimate and responsive performance. Listeners are encouraged to hear the high-quality recording directly, as YouTube's compressed audio might not fully reflect the nuance and detail.

What makes Li's performance special is not flashy showmanship, but his focus on emotional communication and musical structure. Though some tempos are slow, he plays with such intensity and careful shaping that the tension never drops. Perhaps standing among the orchestra helped him feel more surrounded by sound, which may have led to a fuller tone in the low range and a bright, clear sound in the high notes. Petrenko's accompaniment is not just solid—it shows a deep mutual understanding. The dialogue between soloist and orchestra, especially in the third movement, is lively and precise, highlighting their close musical rapport.

Overall, this album shows Christian Li's growing maturity. His interpretation of Tchaikovsky is thoughtful, structured, and emotionally balanced. From his early, instinctive style to this more carefully crafted expression, Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is a major milestone in his artistic development—and a wonderful chance for listeners to experience his evolving musical voice.

*This English version is a concise summary of the original Chinese article.*

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