【古殿唱片音樂故事】：為什麼這張拉威爾弦樂四重奏，聽起來像是在你身邊呼吸？
古殿殿主
嘿，歡迎來到「古殿」。
今天殿主想為你放一張很特別的黑膠唱片。你看，這張封套上的貝殼圖案，黑白分明，充滿了手作的質感。這是一張來自 1979 年日本 LOB 廠牌的唱片，收錄的是拉威爾的弦樂四重奏。
為什麼要特別介紹它？源自於這個 LOB 廠牌，他們是一群「拒絕後悔」、甚至可以說是「賭上靈魂」的藝術家。在那個類比錄音的黃金年代，當年他們做了一件現代人幾乎不敢想像的事——直刻錄音（Direct Cutting）。
這不只是一張唱片，它是對抗這個「快速複製、隨意修改」時代的一帖良藥。來，讓殿主從這張唱片背後那個驚心動魄的故事說起。
一：在這個什麼都能「重來」的世界，他們選擇了「一刀定生死」
你知不知道，現代人最大的特權是什麼？其實是「後悔」。
打錯字了？按個刪除鍵 (Delete)。照片拍醜了？修圖軟體推一下。唱歌走音了？錄音室的電腦可以把你每一個音準都修到完美。我們習慣了擁有無數次重來的機會，習慣了把最好的片段剪貼在一起，拼湊出一個完美的假象。
但是，這張標示著「Direct Cutting」的唱片，是對這種便利說「不」的產物。簡單來說：
黑膠錄音的最極致錄音就是：「直刻錄音」。
它的規則非常硬派：
完全不後製，不透過磁帶，演奏加一氣呵成直接刻片紀錄。由於沒有磁帶母帶，母版只有一份，所以壓制有限制，當年發行就是限定盤。
這原理就像是寫書法。墨水落下，紙張吸進去了，那一筆就是那一筆。這張唱片在錄製的時候，四位音樂家在演奏，隔壁房間的刻片工程師就直接拿著刻片刀，在珍貴的漆盤母版上刻下溝槽。這中間沒有磁帶作為緩衝，沒有電腦可以暫停，更不可能剪接。
想像一下，這張唱片的一面大約是 20 分鐘。如果你是演奏家，當你演奏到第 19 分鐘時，手心冒汗，心跳加速，結果拉錯了一個音。怎麼辦？沒得救。前面完美的 19 分鐘全部作廢，那塊昂貴的母版直接報銷，所有人從頭再來。
這對音樂家來說，是多大的心理壓力？尤其是弦樂四重奏。
在古典音樂裡，弦樂四重奏被認為是最精密的室內樂形式。四個人，四把琴，像是在進行一場高智商的對話。任何一個人的呼吸亂了，整個結構就會鬆動。通常做「直刻錄音」，為了保險起見，大家會選一些簡單熱鬧的爵士樂或流行曲。但這群在日本成立名為「阿爾斯・諾瓦（Ars Nova）」的演奏家們，偏偏選了拉威爾。
拉威爾的音樂是什麼？是精密的幾何學，是晶瑩剔透的水晶。任何一點瑕疵在拉威爾的音樂裡都會被無限放大。
所以，當我在古殿放這張唱片時，我常跟朋友們說： 「你聽到的不只是音樂，你聽到的是人類高度專注時的生命能量。」
那種張力，那種「我必須活在當下」的燃燒感，是任何靠剪接修飾出來的完美錄音都無法比擬的。這就是為什麼我說，它聽起來像是在你身邊呼吸——因為那是真實活著 (LIVE) 的聲音。
二：拒絕「聲音的味精」——關於錄音室裡的兩條路線
接下來，我想跟你聊聊這張唱片最讓我著迷的地方：聲音的味道。
這張唱片的解說內頁非常詳盡，如果你讀懂了其中的錄音美學，你會發現這其實就是我們的人生哲學。當時的日本音響工程技術專家與作家加銅鐵平先生在解說中提到，錄音基本上有兩條路線：
第一條路線：現代的「死寂（Dead）」風格
這是後來主流的做法。錄音室被設計得像無響室一樣，完全沒有回音，聽起來乾乾的、死死的。錄音師會在每一件樂器前面架設一支麥克風（Multi-mic），甚至把樂手用隔板隔開。 為什麼要這樣？為了「效率」與「乾淨」。因為把聲音隔離了，大提琴的聲音不會跑到小提琴的麥克風裡。如果大提琴拉錯了，只要叫大提琴手留下來重錄那一段就好，其他人可以先下班。最後，因為聲音太乾，錄音師再用機器加上人工的殘響（Echo），製造出彷彿在大廳的假象。 這像什麼？這就像是煮菜時，先把肉、菜、湯分開煮熟，最後再加一大堆味精和調味料拌在一起。味道很重、很刺激，但你吃不到食材融合在一起的那種鮮甜。這就是「工業化」的聲音。
第二條路線：LOB 選擇的「鮮活（Live）」風格
這張唱片選擇了一條「復古」且艱難的路。他們不進那種死氣沉沉的錄音室，而是租下了一個音樂廳（Pioneer Studio Hall），讓空間保持自然的殘響。最瘋狂的是，他們只用了**「單點的麥克風（One-point mic）」**。 這意味著什麼？這意味著錄音師不能依賴機器去調整每個樂器的大小聲。他必須在錄音前，花幾個小時甚至幾天，像個探險家一樣在音樂廳裡走來走去，尋找那個唯一的「甜蜜點（Sweet Point）」。在這個點上，四把提琴的聲音在空氣中自然混合，比例完美，而且還帶著空間的殘響。
～～（古老的留聲機蟲膠時代的原始錄音也就是這樣的直刻錄音）～～
這有什麼好處？解說裡提到了一個關鍵詞：「空氣感」。
當你在這張唱片裡聽到第一小提琴和中提琴的對話時，那個聲音不是被隔離的。那是樂器真的在空間裡震動，聲波在空氣中互相碰撞、融合，然後才飄進麥克風裡。這種聲音，帶有一種**「濕潤感」**，有一種難以言喻的光澤和甜味。
這不僅僅是物理學，也是心理學。我們人類的耳朵長在頭的兩側，我們天生就是用「單點雙耳的麥克風」在聽世界。我們的耳朵會去感受聲音在空間裡的反射，來判斷位置和距離。現代的多麥克風錄音，雖然每個細節都很清楚，但往往會破壞這種自然的相位關係，聽久了，大腦會累，因為潛意識覺得「這不自然」。
但 LOB 的直刻錄音，因為完全模擬了人耳的聽覺模式，並且保留了空間原本的聲音，所以當你閉上眼睛，你會覺得這四個人真的就坐在你面前。那個空間是「活」的，你可以感覺到空氣的流動。
在「古殿」，殿主常說我們要追求「身心健康」。聽這種自然的錄音，其實就是一種對大腦的按摩。它不需要你的大腦去重新運算、去適應人工的假造空間，它讓你很直覺地就「在」那裡了。
三：尋找失落的遺跡——一條直通拉威爾的隱形線索
我對這張唱片的喜愛還來自另一個層面：傳承。
殿主常說，我的工作是在聆聽音樂的過程中，尋找失落的歷史遺跡。這張唱片，就是一個珍貴的遺跡。
讓我們來看看這四位演奏家。他們是「阿爾斯・諾瓦四重奏團」，成員大都來自著名的桐朋學園。但在這份名單中，我看到了一個閃閃發亮的名字：第一小提琴手，石井志都子 (1942-) 女性小提琴家。
解說文裡藏著一段讓我起雞皮疙瘩的故事。石井女士年輕時在法國留學，她在巴黎音樂院求學期間，受教於一位名叫莫朗傑夫人（Hélène Morhange, 1888-1961）的法國女性小提琴家。 這位莫朗傑夫人是誰？她正是拉威爾晚年的密友！ 甚至，拉威爾那首著名的第二號小提琴奏鳴曲，就是獻給這位夫人的。
這意味著什麼？這意味著，當石井女士在拉奏這首四重奏時，她腦海裡的詮釋、她處理樂句的方式，極有可能是來自拉威爾本人的親自指導，透過莫朗傑夫人這條線，原汁原味地傳承了下來。解說裡還提到，石井女士曾說：「我在法國時，大家都說日本人拉拉威爾特別好聽，因為拉威爾的音樂線條清晰，不曖昧，很適合我們。」
這就是歷史的厚度。當我們播放這張唱片，我們聽到的不只是 1979 年的錄音，我們透過這條隱形的線，連結到了 20 世紀初的巴黎，連結到了拉威爾那個孤高、完美主義的靈魂。這不是書本上冷冰冰的文字，這是活生生的「聲音歷史跨國傳承」。
四：給忙碌大人的「聲音避難所」——如何聆聽這張唱片？
朋友，我知道你很忙。但在今天結束之前，我想邀請你做一個小小的實驗。
今晚，當你把工作放下，孩子睡了，或者終於有一個人獨處的時間。請你為自己倒一杯酒，或是一杯熱茶，然後讓這張唱片開始轉動。
這首《F大調弦樂四重奏》是拉威爾年輕時（27歲）的傑作，但我建議你不要帶著「聽古典音樂」的嚴肅心情去聽。你就把它當作是一場聲音的旅行。
第一樂章： 你會聽到一個非常溫柔、優雅的旋律像波浪一樣湧上來。請注意聽那個空間感，那個聲音不是從喇叭硬擠出來的，而是像雲霧一樣散開在你的房間裡。
第二樂章： 這裡很有趣，你會聽到很多「撥奏」（Pizzicato，用手指撥弦的聲音）。在直刻錄音下，那個撥弦的質感——手指觸碰琴弦的肉感、琴弦回彈的震動，真實到你會以為有人在彈你的桌子。那是一種充滿節奏感、卻又帶著神祕東方色彩的聲音。
第三樂章： 這是我最推薦你在疲憊時聽的段落。音樂加上了弱音器，聲音變得朦朧而深邃。中提琴會帶你進入一個很深、很靜的夜。在這裡，時間彷彿變慢了。試著在這個樂章裡，把全身的肌肉放鬆，想像自己漂浮在夜晚的湖面上。
第四樂章： 這是一場風暴，也是四位演奏家與錄音師默契的大考驗。激烈的運弓，快速的音群，你會感受到那個「不能重來」的緊張感轉化為一種極致的興奮。
聽完這張唱片，你會發現，這短短的幾十分鐘，你只是單純地「聽」，單純地與這四位音樂家、與拉威爾、與那個 1979 年的空氣活在一起。
這就是「古殿」想做的事。在這個大家都很忙很累的時代，古殿想幫你保留最後一塊「人味」的淨土。直刻錄音之所以珍貴，不是因為它技術多難，而是因為它證明了：人類在沒有退路的時候，能夠激發出多麼驚人的美。
我們不需要完美，我們需要的是真實。希望這張充滿「真實」力量的唱片，能為你今晚的夢境，帶來一點溫暖與自由。
最後：給想要進一步探索的你
如果你對這張唱片的技術細節感興趣，這張 LOB 的唱片封底其實是一份非常好的錄音教科書。它甚至列出了當時使用的所有器材：
麥克風： Neumann U-87（這可是麥克風界的傳奇，他們用了兩支做單點收音）。
刻片機： Neumann VMS-70（負責把聲音物理刻在母盤上的精密車床）。
鑑聽喇叭： JBL 4331（經典的美國之聲）。
看著這些器材型號，你會驚訝於在那個類比時代，人們為了追求「把現場帶回家」這個夢想，付出了多少努力。而我們現在，只需要輕輕放下唱針，就能坐享其成。這難道不是一種最奢侈的幸福嗎？
實體音樂：
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【Gu Dian Music Story】: Why Does This Ravel String Quartet Sound Like It’s Breathing Right Beside You?
Hey, welcome to "Gu Dian" (The Ancient Hall).
Today, I want to put on a very special vinyl record for you. Take a look at this cover—that black and white seashell pattern. It has such a hand-made texture, doesn't it? This is a record from 1979, released by a Japanese label called LOB, featuring Maurice Ravel's String Quartet.
Why am I making a special effort to introduce this? It all starts with this label, LOB. They were a group of artists who "refused to have regrets"—you could even say they were gambling their souls on this. In that golden age of analog recording, they did something that modern people can barely imagine: Direct Cutting.
This isn't just a record; it is a remedy against our modern era of "fast replication and casual editing." Come, let me tell you the thrilling story behind this groove.
1. In a world where everything can be "Redone," they chose "One Take, Life or Death"
Do you know what the greatest privilege of modern life is? It’s the ability to "regret."
Type a typo? Hit "Delete." Photo looks bad? Use an app to fix it. Sang off-key? The studio computer can tune every note to perfection. We are so used to having infinite chances to start over, used to cutting and pasting the best bits together to create a perfect illusion.
But this record, marked "Direct Cutting," is a product that says "NO" to that convenience. Put simply, the ultimate form of vinyl recording is "Direct Cutting."
The rules are hardcore: absolutely no post-production, no magnetic tape. The performance is recorded directly onto the master disc in one go. Because there is no tape master, there is only one lacquer master, which limits how many records can be pressed. It was a limited edition from the moment it was born.
The principle is like calligraphy. Once the ink hits the paper and the paper absorbs it, that stroke is permanent. When this record was being made, while the four musicians were playing, the cutting engineer in the next room was using a cutting stylus to carve grooves directly onto a precious lacquer disc. There was no tape as a buffer, no computer to pause, and certainly no way to edit.
Imagine this: one side of this record is about 20 minutes long. If you are a musician and you play a wrong note at the 19th minute because your palms are sweating and your heart is racing... what happens? There is no saving it. The previous 19 minutes of perfection are void. That expensive master disc is ruined. Everyone has to start from scratch.
Can you imagine the psychological pressure on the musicians? Especially for a string quartet.
In classical music, the string quartet is considered the most precise form of chamber music. Four people, four instruments, engaging in a high-IQ conversation. If one person’s breathing is off, the whole structure loosens. Usually, when doing "Direct Cutting," people play it safe and choose simple, lively Jazz or Pop songs. But this group of players—who formed a quartet in Japan called "Ars Nova"—stubbornly chose Ravel.
What is Ravel's music? It is precise geometry; it is crystal clear. Any tiny flaw in Ravel’s music gets magnified infinitely.
So, when I play this record at Gu Dian, I often tell my friends: "You aren't just hearing music; you are hearing the raw life energy of human beings in a state of hyper-focus."
That tension, that burning sensation of "I must live in this moment," is something no perfect recording created by editing can ever match. This is why I say it sounds like it’s breathing beside you—because that is the sound of being truly ALIVE.
2. Rejecting "Audio MSG"—Two Paths in the Studio
Next, I want to chat about what fascinates me most about this record: the "flavor" of the sound.
The liner notes of this album are incredibly detailed. If you understand the recording aesthetics described there, you’ll realize it’s actually a philosophy of life. The Japanese audio expert and writer Teppei Kato mentioned in the notes that there are basically two paths in recording:
Path 1: The Modern "Dead" Style. This became the mainstream method. Studios are designed to be like anechoic chambers—completely dead, with no echo, sounding very dry. Engineers place a microphone in front of every single instrument ("Multi-mic") and even separate the musicians with baffles. Why? For "efficiency" and "cleanliness." By isolating the sounds, the cello won't bleed into the violin's mic. If the cellist makes a mistake, you just ask them to stay behind and re-record that bit, while everyone else goes home. Finally, because the sound is too dry, the engineer uses a machine to add artificial echo, creating the illusion of a concert hall. What is this like? It’s like cooking. You boil the meat and vegetables separately, and at the end, you toss them together with a bunch of MSG and heavy seasoning. The flavor is strong and stimulating, but you can’t taste the natural sweetness of the ingredients blending together. This is "Industrialized" sound.
Path 2: The "Live" Style Chosen by LOB. This record chose a "retro" and difficult path. They didn't go into a dead studio; they rented a concert hall (Pioneer Studio Hall) to keep the natural reverb of the space. The craziest part? They used only "One-point microphones." What does this mean? It means the engineer cannot rely on a machine to adjust the volume of each instrument later. Before recording, he has to spend hours, maybe days, walking around the hall like an explorer, looking for that single "Sweet Point." At this specific spot, the sound of the four instruments mixes naturally in the air, in perfect proportion, carrying the resonance of the room. (The primitive recordings of the old shellac era were also done this way).
What’s the benefit? The liner notes mention a keyword: "Airiness."
When you hear the conversation between the first violin and the viola on this record, the sound isn't isolated. It’s the instruments actually vibrating in the space, sound waves colliding and blending in the air before drifting into the microphone. This sound has a "wetness," an indescribable sheen and sweetness.
This isn't just physics; it’s psychology. Our ears are on the sides of our heads; we are born to hear the world with a "one-point, two-ear microphone." Our ears feel the reflection of sound in space to judge position and distance. Modern multi-mic recordings, while clear in every detail, often destroy this natural phase relationship. After listening for a while, the brain gets tired because your subconscious feels "this isn't natural."
But LOB's direct cutting completely simulates the human hearing model and preserves the original sound of the space. So when you close your eyes, you feel like those four people are really sitting right in front of you. The space is "alive," and you can feel the air flowing.
At "Gu Dian," I often say we pursue "physical and mental health." Listening to this kind of natural recording is actually a massage for the brain. It doesn't require your brain to re-calculate or adapt to a fake, artificial space. It lets you intuitively just "be" there.
3. Finding Lost Relics—An Invisible Thread to Ravel
My love for this record also comes from another layer: Heritage.
I often say that my job is to search for lost historical relics while listening to music. This record is a precious relic.
Let’s look at the four players. They are the "Ars Nova Quartet," mostly graduates from the famous Toho Gakuen School of Music. But on this list, I saw a name that sparkled: the first violinist, Shizuko Ishii (1942-).
Hidden in the liner notes is a story that gave me goosebumps. When Ms. Ishii was young, she studied at the Paris Conservatory under a French female violinist named Hélène Morhange (1888-1961). Who was Madame Morhange? She was a close confidante of Ravel in his later years! In fact, Ravel's famous Violin Sonata No. 2 was dedicated to her.
What does this mean? It means that when Ms. Ishii plays this quartet, the interpretation in her mind, the way she handles the phrasing, is very likely derived from Ravel’s own personal guidance, passed down authentically through the line of Madame Morhange. The notes even mention that Ms. Ishii once said: "When I was in France, everyone said that Japanese people play Ravel beautifully because his musical lines are clear, not ambiguous, which suits us well."
This is the weight of history. When we play this record, we aren't just hearing a 1979 recording. Through this invisible thread, we connect to early 20th-century Paris, to Ravel's aloof, perfectionist soul. This isn't cold text in a history book; this is living "transnational audio heritage."
4. A "Sound Sanctuary" for Busy Adults—How to Listen?
My friend, I know you are busy. But before today ends, I want to invite you to try a small experiment.
Tonight, when you put down your work, the kids are asleep, or you finally have some time alone... pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of hot tea, and let this record spin.
This String Quartet in F Major is a masterpiece from Ravel’s youth (27 years old), but I suggest you don't listen to it with the serious mindset of "studying classical music." Treat it like a sound journey.
- First Movement: You will hear a very gentle, elegant melody surging up like a wave. Pay attention to the sense of space—the sound isn't being squeezed out of the speakers; it’s spreading out like mist in your room.
- Second Movement: This is fun. You’ll hear a lot of "Pizzicato" (plucking strings with fingers). With the Direct Cutting recording, the texture of that plucking—the fleshy pad of the finger touching the string, the vibration of the string snapping back—is so real you’ll think someone is tapping on your desk. It’s a rhythmic sound, yet full of mysterious Oriental color.
- Third Movement: This is the part I recommend most when you are exhausted. The music uses mutes, making the sound hazy and profound. The viola will lead you into a very deep, quiet night. Here, time seems to slow down. Try to relax every muscle in your body during this movement and imagine yourself floating on the surface of a lake at night.
- Fourth Movement: This is a storm, and a huge test of the chemistry between the four musicians and the engineer. Intense bowing, rapid notes—you will feel that "no do-overs" tension transforming into an extreme excitement.
After listening, you’ll realize that for these few dozen minutes, you were simply "listening," simply living together with these four musicians, with Ravel, and with that air from 1979.
This is what "Gu Dian" wants to do. In an era where everyone is busy and tired, Gu Dian wants to help you save a final patch of pure land for "humanity." The value of Direct Cutting isn't just the difficult technology; it’s that it proves how shockingly beautiful humans can be when they have no way to retreat.
We don't need perfection; we need reality. I hope this record, full of the power of "truth," brings a little warmth and freedom to your dreams tonight.
Finally: For those who want to explore further
If you are interested in the technical details, the back cover of this LOB record is actually a great textbook on recording. It even lists all the equipment used at the time:
- Microphone: Neumann U-87 (A legend in the mic world; they used two for single-point pickup).
- Cutting Lathe: Neumann VMS-70 (The precision lathe responsible for physically cutting sound onto the master disc).
- Monitor Speakers: JBL 4331 (The classic "Sound of America").
Looking at these model numbers, you’ll be amazed at how much effort people in the analog era put into the dream of "bringing the live performance home." And now, we just need to gently drop the needle to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Isn't that the most luxurious kind of happiness?