菲利克斯‧孟德爾頌《應答曲與讚美歌》中所展現的宗教衝突與辯證

Abstract

本文旨在討論菲利克斯‧孟德爾頌（Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, 1809-1847）在其給男聲合唱、大提琴與低音大提琴的作品《應答曲與讚美歌》（Responsorium et Hymnus）中所展現對於不同宗教的態度。若從音樂學家斯波薩托（Jeffrey S. Sposato）對於該作曲家的身份認同所提出的論點來看，在此天主教儀式音樂創作中最後出現的路德教派聖詠，似乎是孟德爾頌對其路德新教信仰虔誠的展現以及對天主教的批判。然而若我們仔細地檢視該作品，便可以發現不同宗教所代表的音樂元素在其中展現了辯證式的關聯，因此菲利克斯並非是想要批評天主教，而是試圖表達不同宗教間共存的可能性與必要性，並同時呼應他的祖父摩西‧孟德爾頌（Moses Mendelssohn, 1729-1786）所提出宗教多元與宗教寬容的觀點，認為此乃認識宗教真理的唯一途徑。在本文的最後，筆者認為對於孟德爾頌作品與生平的接受歷史，從華格納（Richard Wagner, 1813-1883）的反猶太主義到二十世紀後半所謂的孟德爾頌復興，也經歷了這樣的一個辯證歷程，因此我們必須持著多元的觀點，才能適當地理解與詮釋孟德爾頌的創作與生平。

This essay discusses the problem of Felix Mendelssohn’s attitude towardsdifferent religions shown in his choral piece Responsorium et Hymnus, Op. 121,for male choir with cello and double bass. Musicologist Jeffrey S. Sposato arguesthat the insertion of the Lutheran chorale at the end of this Catholic liturgicalwork is a manifestation of the composer’s devout Lutheran faith and a criticismagainst the Catholic church. However, with closer examination on the work, theauthor finds that Mendelssohn attempted to create a dialectic between differentdenominations of Christianity by using music elements which are representativeof these denominations. Instead of a critique on Catholicism, Mendelssohnconveys the possibility and the necessity for the coexistence of different faiths,an idea which can be traced back to Moses Mendelssohn, the composer’sgrandfather, who suggests that religious pluralism and tolerance is the only wayto religious truth. At the end of this paper, I propose that there is a paralleldialectic process in the reception history of Felix Mendelssohn’s work and life—from the post-Wagnerian and anti-semitic criticism to the MendelssohnRenaissance in the second half of 20th century. We cannot have comprehensiveunderstanding and sound interpretation of Mendelssohn and his works withoutthis multi-perspective approach.