|
 |
某日眾酒友相約在某酒友家聚餐，酒酣耳熱之際，提到台灣目前各葡萄酒商的女性門市銷售員，都具有不錯的基本知識，然而只有少數幾位具有真正對酒的熱情，而熱情才是足以說服客戶購買產品的動力。話題轉到目前世界上幾位重量級的葡萄酒莊女當家，例如Leroy的鐵娘子、Viader的Delia Viader女士等，其實力皆足以令男性畏懼，可見女性在這方面的天賦！隨後有人起鬨說，尤其莊主若是個寡婦，在不受男性干擾下，心無旁鶩，更能開創出奇蹟來，例如著名凱歌香檳酒莊的Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin（彭莎登夫人）、Duval-Leroy香檳酒莊的Carol Duval-Leroy（卡洛夫人），皆是有成就的寡婦，看來男人還真是罪魁禍首呢!當大家正趣味盎然地討論這些話題時，主人端出了一瓶加州Hanna Winery漢娜酒莊的紅酒，我打趣說：「這也是寡婦酒莊！」，霎時所有人都不可置信地問：「真的嗎？你確定嗎？」
Elias Hanna在1985年創立了漢娜酒莊，剛開始只有在Russian River Valley
俄國河谷的12英畝地，現在則擁有超過600英畝地，其中250英畝葡萄園分布在Russian River Valley俄國河谷、Alexander Valley亞歷山大山谷以及Sonoma Valley索諾瑪山谷的瑪雅卡瑪斯山坡上，同時約種植有十種不同的葡萄品種，其中種在Mayacamas Mountains'Hill瑪雅卡瑪斯山的葡萄所釀出來的酒，以Bismark Ranch名稱發售，是漢娜酒莊最引為自豪的頂級酒，博得酒界不少的好評。2003年筆者在台北舉行的加州酒品酒會上，品嘗到Bismark Ranch的Zinfandel
|
 |
漢娜酒莊Hanna Winery，因為酒莊的名稱和寡婦的話題讓我聯想到匈牙利作曲家Franz Lehar 法蘭茲-雷哈爾的輕歌劇The Merry Window (風流寡婦)
|
| The face that were discussing the subject of vineyards and windows made me think of the operetta "The Merry Window" by Hungarian composer Franz Lehar. |
|
金芬黛，滿口的櫻桃香味，其滋味之美，至今仍然難以忘懷。
 |
|
|
雷哈爾的音樂也一樣讓人難以忘懷。1905年「風流寡婦」在維也納首演，由於故事風趣、音樂優美，不到幾年，隨即風靡全世界。其輕歌劇的劇本是依據
法國作家Herni Meilhac梅亞克的喜劇L'attach? d'ambassade（大使館隨員）所改編，故事敘述在Balkan巴爾幹半島的一個虛構的小國Pontevedro波特維諾，其國家經濟掌控在一位富有的銀行家手上，不料銀行家過世，遺產兩千萬馬克歸於他的老婆漢娜，漢娜來到巴黎享樂，在巴黎的波特維諾大使接到國家指令，要想盡辦法不讓漢娜嫁給法國人，不然祖國即將破產，於是大使找來漢娜青梅竹馬的舊情人Danilo丹尼諾，一番波折之後，丹尼諾成功地娶得漢娜，完成了國家交付的使命。「風流寡婦」的成功，絕非偶然，歌劇旋律之優美，可說是一聆難忘。另外該歌劇具有趣味的地方在於第三幕，漢娜將她在巴黎的寓所，妝點成巴黎著名的Maxim's美心餐廳，並請來美心餐廳的舞女們，討丹尼諾的歡心，因為丹尼諾無法忘情於漢娜，在巴黎時常到美心餐廳去買醉，第一幕他酒醉出場時就唱道： |
|
著名凱歌香檳酒莊的Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin（彭莎登夫人），是葡萄酒界最知名的寡婦之一。（圖片提供Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin）
|
| Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne's Madame Ponsardin (Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin) is one of the most famous widows in wine world.（Photo by Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin） |
|
所以我去了美心餐廳
我在那裡感到非常自在
可用「妳」來稱呼所有的女士
或暱稱她們：
露露、嘟嘟、啾啾、柯珞柯珞、瑪歌、芙珞芙珞
她們讓我忘記高貴的祖國
香檳酒香四溢、康康舞蹈翩翩
綿綿情意加親吻，親吻所有的甜心
露露、嘟嘟、啾啾、柯珞柯珞、瑪歌、芙珞芙珞
她們讓我忘記高貴的祖國
美心餐廳也因為歌劇的成功，連帶揚名全世界。
美心餐廳的崛起也是一則傳奇，餐廳原址是一家冷飲店，1893年4月23日，原來是某餐廳侍者的Maxime Gaillard蓋拉德將之買下，開了屬於自己的美心餐廳，由於深諳巴黎人心理，餐廳開張不到一個月，就已成為巴黎的年輕人和時尚男女的最佳聚會場所，據說雷哈爾每到巴黎就喜愛前往該餐廳用餐，也因此能夠傳神地利用音樂表現出餐廳的風情。1981年，時尚界名人皮爾卡登買下美心餐廳，開始企業式全球化經營，他最成功的決策在於買下該餐廳的註冊商標，這商標是「風流寡婦」一劇創作時，餐廳菜單的封面插畫，皮爾卡登以這商標開始行銷各式各樣的產品，如美心咖啡、美心巧克力、雪茄、糖果、葡萄酒、香檳，還有一年一度的薄酒萊新酒，可說是大發利市。同時為了推銷美心，除了巴黎本店外，還開了紐約、墨西哥、蒙地卡羅、北京和上海分店，知名演藝人員和時尚名媛都常是座上客，也因此吸引更多的客源，為了擴張版圖並維持餐廳水準，皮爾卡登更不惜投資開設餐飲學校，可見其魄力和遠見。
相對於美心的快速成功，漢娜酒廠可就沒那麼幸運，畢竟種植葡萄和釀酒是相當繁瑣的工作，同時還有氣候、土質等種種可變的因素。Stephen Brook在其著作The Wines of Califonia（加州葡萄酒）中認為漢娜酒廠有一些葡萄園的高度比地下水平來得低，因此很難控制葡萄的成熟度，同時很多釀酒師在這個莊園裡來來去去，因此酒莊的酒缺乏一貫的型態和自己的個性；不過它仍然偶有佳作，Andr? Gayot在1993年出版的Guide to the Best Wineries of North America（北美最佳葡萄莊園導覽）中，提到他曾喝到該酒廠1988年份的卡貝內蘇維翁，印象非常深刻。近年來Elias Hanna已將酒莊交棒給大女兒Christine Hanna克莉絲丁掌理，女性確實不同凡響，和釀酒師Jefferson Hinchliffe傑佛森長期合作，將酒莊管理得有聲有色，同時在酒展上連連得獎，聲譽扶搖直上，已非吳下阿蒙。
輕歌劇「風流寡婦」雖然成功，但一般聽眾仍然認為輕歌劇不過爾爾，無法和正統歌劇的輝煌深刻相比擬，但是當該歌劇的第一張唱片錄音問世後，世人完全改觀，一流的歌唱家爭相演出此劇，奠定了它在樂壇上不朽的地位。近幾十年來，幾乎每位頂尖的女高音都希望留下此劇的錄音，在筆者收藏的六個CD版本中，每位女高音都各擅勝場，其中德國女高音Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
舒華?柯芙的兩個錄音最受推崇，也被愛樂者和樂評家認為是有史以來最偉大的漢娜詮釋者，尤其1963年的第二次錄音，舒華茲柯芙的歌聲嫵媚成熟，盡情展現出風情萬種的風流寡婦。同樣擅長演唱漢娜的女高音Ad?le Leigh蓮恩曾說，演唱漢娜是一種特別的藝術，妳必須用嗓音來「演戲」，而這正是舒華茲柯芙讓人難以超越的表現。雷哈爾原屬意由男高音來演唱丹尼諾一角，不過現今幾乎都由男中音來演唱，不過這位男中音必須具備能演唱穩定的高G音技巧才行，在筆者的六個版本中，僅卡拉揚指揮的版本是採用男高音Ren? Kollo柯羅，柯羅唱得深情款款，十足是個浪漫多情的丹尼諾。劇中另一位角色Camille卡米爾，則以錄音兩次的男高音Nicolai Gedda蓋達最讓人印象深刻。另一位角色Valencienne華蓮希，則以目前當紅女高音Barbara Bonney波妮唱得最為動人，絕對值得一聆再聆。此劇第二幕由八個大男人所演唱的八重唱「女人啊！女人」，也是此劇最大的趣味賣點之一，其歌詞大致如下：
女人，女人，女人，女人，啊！
是的，研究女人非常困難，
她讓男人狼狽不堪！
無人能知曉，
女人，女人，女人，女人的靈與肉！
女孩兒般地溫柔，娃娃似地清純容顏，金黃色的頭髮，
和一對純真善良的藍眼睛！
不管她們頭髮染成黑色、或紅色、或金色
誰在乎呢，反正我們仍然深深地被迷戀！
在現場演出時，八個大男人得在舞台上又唱又跳，不僅要發出逗趣的叫聲，還要跳著抬大腿的康康舞，是此劇最歡樂的時刻。目前兩個現場演出的DVD影片，都有精采的表現，尤其舊金山歌劇院版，導演將三幕的基調定為黑白、寶藍、火紅，同時一反常態，寡婦一出場時身穿火紅色禮服，在黑白兩色的男性中顯得非常突出，女高音Yvonne Kennedy肯妮笛以及男中音Bo Skovhus史科弗斯表現非常精采，畫質鮮艷完美，可惜的是此版以英語演唱，且只附西班牙文字幕。這兩場演出，都不約而同地在第三募開場時，加入一段精彩的芭蕾舞表演，採用的音樂是選自雷哈爾的另一齣輕歌劇「盧森堡公爵」的主題，使得整體演出更為華麗。
輕歌劇如此成功，電影界當然不會放棄這個題材，好萊塢總共拍過三次風流寡婦，分別是1925年的默片，由Erich von Stroheim史托海姆執導、1934年的黑白片，由Ernst Lubitsch魯畢許執導、1952年的彩色片，由Curtis Bernhardt柏恩哈特執導。其中1934年的黑白片由名女星Jennette MacDonald珍妮特?麥當勞主演，她那氣質出眾的優美臉蛋以及讓男人噴火的身材，相信所有人都願意娶她回家，該片改變了很多情節以符合好萊塢式的喜劇氣氛，取消了兩個主要角色，將重點全擺在男女主角上，其中許多對白每每讓人捧腹大笑，可惜是黑白片，無法盡賞此片精美的服裝設計和華麗的舞蹈場面。
|
 |
|
更值得一提的是編舞家Roland Hynd羅蘭?辛德所改編的芭蕾舞劇，目前可以找到加拿大國家芭蕾舞團版本的DVD，芭蕾伶娜Karen Kain卡倫?凱恩的舞藝精湛，表情楚楚動人，澳洲籍的男舞者John Meehan約翰?米漢完全演活了丹尼諾，其舞藝絕不在紐瑞耶夫之下，剛出場的醉酒之舞以及第三幕穿著燕尾服所展現的高超舞藝，讓人拍案叫絕，另一角色華蓮希則由日本舞者Yoko Ichino市江洋子擔綱，其優美的舞藝和逗趣的表情，也搶走主角不少風采，芭蕾雖然沒有對白，卻勝過千言萬語。
轉瞬間，漢娜的酒液已在眾人的腸肚間迴蕩，空酒瓶靜靜地躺在餐桌上，眾酒友依然熱烈地討論各種話題，然而聲音似乎離我愈來愈遠，此時我所聽到的是由漢娜空酒瓶中流瀉出來的風流寡婦圓舞曲！ |
|
「美心餐廳的康康舞」，是風流寡婦劇中，相當讓人印象深刻的一幕。
|
| The Can-Can Dance scene which took place in disguised Maxim's restaurant is a very impressive part in this play. |
|
someone said that this is especially the case if the owner is a widow. Without any male interference or external distractions, women are in an even better position to succeed at business. Examples of highly successful widows include Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne's Madame Ponsardin (Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin) and Duval-Leroy Champagne's Carol Duval-Leroy. As we continued to talk, our host brought in a bottle of red wine from the Hanna vineyard in California, at which point I interjected: “That vineyard is also run by a widow!” The other guests turned to me not knowing if I was serious or not and asked “Really? Are you sure?”
Actually I was joking, the founder of the Hanna vineyard was in fact a famous heart surgeon, Dr. Elias Hanna. However, the fact that we were discussing the subject of vineyards and widows made me think of the operetta “The Merry Widow” by Hungarian composer Franz Lehar. The widow of the title, who came into an inheritance of twenty million Marksin this operetta, is called Hanna.
In 1985, Elias Hanna founded the Hanna vineyard in California. To begin with he owned just 12 acres in the Russian River Valley, today the vineyard covers more than 600 acres, of which 250 acres is distributed along the Mayacamas Mountain Hills of Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Sonoma Valley. At the same time, around ten different types of grape are grown. Of the wines produced from the grapes of the Mayacamas Mountain Hills, the best selling brand is “Bismark Ranch,” a top class wine of which the Hanna vineyard is justifiably proud and one that well received by wine lovers everywhere. In 2003, the author organized a Californian Wine Tasting gathering in Taipei, where the Zinfandel of the Bismark Ranch, the full cherry fragrance and the beautiful taste were truly memorable.
Lehar's music is equally unforgettable. “The Merry Widow” was first performed in Vienna in 1905. The appeal of the story and quality of the musical accompaniment meant that in just a few years it was a global hit. The script for the operetta was adapted from the comedy “L'attach? d'ambassade” by the French writer Henri Meilhac. The plot details the story of the make-believe Pontevedrian ambassador to the Balkans, the economy of which is controlled by a wealthy banker who unexpectedly passes away, leaving an inheritance of twenty million Marks to his widow Hanna. The widow arrives in Paris and the ambassador to the city is instructed by his government to do all in his power to prevent her marrying a Frenchman, because such an eventuality would bankrupt the country. The ambassador calls on Hanna's former childhood sweetheart Danilo and after several ups and downs the couple marry. The resounding success of “The Merry Widow” was no accident, as the beautiful music and rhythm of the piece make it an unforgettable experience. One of the most interesting parts of the operetta takes place in Act three, when Hanna decorates her residence in Paris to resemble one of the city's most famous restaurants Maxim's and invites the female dance troupe employed by Maxim's to perform. Unable to forget his feelings for Hanna, Danilo often visits Maxim's in Paris where he proceeds to drink until intoxicated. In Act one he appears drunk and sings:
Then I go to Maxim's,
They know me there.
I'm friendly with all girls
and call them by their pet names :
Lolo, Dodo, Joujou, Cloclo, Margot, Froufrou.
They help me to forget the dear fatherland!
And then the champagne flows,
And they dance the can-can.
And then there's fondling, kissing,
With all these charmers:
Lolo, Dodo, Joujou, Cloclo, Margot, Froufrou.
They let me forget, then,
the dear fatherland.
The success of the operetta made Maxim's famous the world over.
Maxim's restaurant was originally a cold drinks store, bought by Maxime Gaillard, a waiter, on April 23, 1893, who then opened his own restaurant called Maxim's. With his in depth understanding of the likes and dislikes of the residents of Paris, within one month of opening for business the restaurant had already become a favorite of the young and fashionable. It is said that every time he visited Paris, Lehar himself would eat at Maxim's, an experience that enabled him to convey the atmosphere of the restaurant through his music. In 1981, fashion mogul Pierre Cardin bought Maxim's restaurant as part of the launch of a global business operation. His most successful decision in this respect was securing ownership of the restaurant's registered trademark. When “The Merry Widow' was written, this appeared as an illustration on the cover of the restaurant's menus. Pierre Cardin immediately began to sell all a wide range of products under this trademark; Maxim's coffee, chocolates, cigars, candy, wine, champagne and the annual new Beaujolais, all of which developed their own market niche. At the same time, in order to promote Maxim's still further branches were opened in New York, Mexico, Monte Carlo, Beijing and Shanghai. Famous entertainers and fashion models became regular customers, which served to attract even more custom. In order to expand whilst maintaining the restaurant's high standards Pierre Cardin established its own culinary institute, an indication of the company's drive and vision.
When compared to the rapid success of Maxim's, the Hanna vineyard was not as lucky. Planting grapes and making wine is an altogether more complex process, involving such changeable elements as climate and soil quality. Stephen Brook in his classic work “The Wines of California” says of the Hanna vineyard: “Unfortunately the water table is high in some of the estate vineyards, and this has made it difficult to control the vigor of the vines. There have been a number of winemakers during the winery's brief existence. This no doubt helps explain the lack of consistent style.” Despite this, the vineyard has on occasion produced classic wines. Andr? Gayot in his 1993 publication “Guide to the Best Wineries of North America” mentions being deeply impressed by the Hanna vineyards 1988 Cabernet Sauvignon. In recent years, Elias Hanna handed over the running of the vineyard to his eldest daughter Christine, who has so far proved an outstanding choice. Her long term cooperation with winemaker Jefferson Hinchliffe has improved the management of the vineyard and brought a series of awards at various wine exhibitions. This increased prestige is already well established and therefore unlikely to be fleeting.
Despite the success of “The Merry Widow,” many aficionados continued to insist that operettas could simply not be compared to the brilliance and depth of true opera. However, opinions soon changed when the first recording of the operetta was released and top opera singers began to compete for the various roles, establishing a lasting place for the piece in the history of music. Over the last few decades almost every major soprano has recorded the piece. Of the six CD versions the writer owns, each has its own impressively distinctive qualities, though the two recordings by the German soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf remain my favorite. Recognized by music lovers and critics the world over as the greatest interpreter of the role of Hanna in history, Schwarzkopf's singing voice is charmingly mature, especially in the second 1963 recording,
|
 |
|
rendering the various feelings of the merry widow to her heart's content. Another soprano who performed admirably as Hanna, Ad?le Leigh, describes the role of Hanna as a special art, wherein one has to “perform” with one's voice. It is exactly that quality that makes Schwarzkopf's performances so difficult to surpass. Although Lehar originally intended the role of Danilo to be sung by a tenor, today it is almost always performed by a baritone, though one able to hold a firm high G note. Of the writer's six different versions, only the piece conducted by Herbert Von Karajan makes use of a tenor - Ren? Kollo, who sings with great passion and love, making him a deeply emotional Danilo. The role of Camille is best performed by the tenor Nicolai Gedda, who also recorded it on two separate occasions. One of the most moving renditions of the role of Valencienne is provided by the popular soprano Barbara Bonney, who presents a performance no opera fan should miss. Act two of the operetta involves a septet in which eight men sing “Women! women” |
|
雷哈爾的音樂「風流寡婦」，於1905年在維也納首演，由於故事風趣、音樂優美，不到幾年，隨即風靡全世界，成為上演率相當高的熱門作品。
|
| Lehar's “The Merry Widow” was first performed in Vienna in 1905. The appeal of the story and quality of the musical accompaniment meant that in just a few years it was a global hit. |
|
(though the part of two of the singers is identical), one of the main selling points of the whole performance: The lyrics are:
Women, women, women, women, Yes!
Yes, the study of women is hard,
For us men it's a devilish job!
For we never completely can grasp woman,
Women, women, women!
Tender maid, baby-face, blonde hair,
With the most faithful pair of blue eyes,
Whether the hair is dyed black, or red, or blonde,
It's all the same, for we still are struck!
During the live performance the eight male performers sing and dance, making a series of amusing noises in the process, but also lifting their legs in the air as they perform the can can, creating perhaps the single most joyous scene in the entire opera. At present two excellent live performances are available on DVD, especially the San Francisco Opera version, where the director sets the keynote for the three acts as black/white, sapphire blue and fiery red. In contrast to standard portrayals, when the widow appears on stage she is dressed in a fire-red gown, which makes her the center of attention, surrounded by men dressed in black/white. The soprano Yvonne Kennedy and baritone Bo Skovhus perform remarkably, and the picture is color perfect. What is a pity is that this version is performed only in English with Spanish subtitles. Interestingly, at the start of Act three in both performances, a ballet segment is used, to music from a different Lehar operetta “The Count of Luxembourg.” This is a combination that makes the overall performance even more resplendent.
With such a successful operetta it was perhaps inevitable that the film industry would be interested in adapting the material and Hollywood has to date produced three different versions of “The Merry Widow.” In 1925 a silent movie was directed by Erich von Stroheim, in 1934 Ernst Lubitsch produced a black and white version and in 1952 a color production was filmed by Curtis Bernhardt. The 1934 film starred Jennette MacDonald as the female lead. Her exceptional bearing and beauty made her the dream girl of many male filmgoers. However, the original plot was changed to fit with the standard Hollywood-comedy formula and in so doing removed two of the central characters and focused almost exclusively on the male and female leads. Much of the dialogue was often hilarious, but the black and white format made it impossible to truly appreciate the brilliant costume design work and the magnificent dance scenes. Also deserving of mention is the ballet by choreographer Roland Hynd. At present there is DVD copy of the Canadian National Ballet performing the piece, with ballerina Laren Kain and Australian male dancer John Meehan who truly brings the role of Danilo to life. The drunken dance he performs when first appearing on stage and the phenomenal dance skills he displays in Act three dressed coat tails is truly breathtaking. The role of Valencienne is performed by Japanese dance Yoko Ichino and her beautiful dancing and playful
Text by Frank HUANG Photo by Ta Chung LU
|
 |
|
expressions steal not a little of the thunder from the two leads.
In no time at all everyone around the able had tried Hanna's wine and the bottle was empty as myself and my friends moved onto different topics of discussion, but as the voices seemed to drift further and further away, all I could hear were tunes from “The Merry Widow” dancing straight out of the empty bottle of wine from Hanna's vineyard. |
|
Duval-Leroy香檳酒莊、Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin香檳酒莊，皆是在寡婦的領導下有斐然成就的知名酒廠。
|
| Examples of highly successful widows in wine industry include Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne's Madame Ponsardin (Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin) and Duval-Leroy Champagne's Carol Duval-Leroy. |
|
