Sortilèges

這部 11 分鐘的作品是獻給伊馮娜-洛裡奧德（Yvonne Loriod）的，充滿了奇幻的音樂世界，在和聲色彩、音域和速度上形成了廣泛的對比。第一樂章作為慢板，以遍佈整個鍵盤的不祥和絃為場景作鋪墊，隨後第二樂章爆發出爆炸性的姿態、奔騰的低音半拍和動感十足的華彩。這些可怕的聲音巧妙地與吟唱樂句和咒語式的迴旋曲結合在一起，緊張的氣氛愈演愈烈，音樂瀕臨癲狂，最後化為一波波低沉的半音階。停頓之後，樂曲溫和的一面終於得以唱出，作品似乎接近了寧靜的尾聲--但最後還有一個咒語......

作曲家: Benjamin, George
樂器: Piano
出版社: Faber Music
原文簡介:
Dedicated to Yvonne Loriod, this 11-minute work inhabits a fantastical musical world, with a wide range of contrasts in harmonic colour, register, and velocity. The first movement, which serves as a slow introduction, sets the scene with ominous chords spread across the whole keyboard before the second movement erupts with explosive gestures, galloping bass semiquavers and dynamic flourishes. These daemonic sounds are skilfully combined with cantabile phrases and an incantatory scherzo, and the tension builds, with the music verging on pandemonium before dissolving into waves of hushed semiquavers. After a pause, the gentler side of the piece is at last allowed to sing, and the work appears to be approaching a tranquil conclusion – but there is one remaining spell, for the very end… ‘Chiming, craggy… there is a solid integrity to the core of Benjamin’s work that is distinct and individual’ The New York Times (Tim Page), 5 October 1986