小說家的靈感泉源：珍．奧斯汀與「橋頓樂集」

Abstract

英國小說家珍．奧斯汀(Jane Austen, 1775-1817)筆下的女性角色以音樂才華著稱，她的小說也充滿著生動的音樂場景。她筆下的文字源自於她的現實生活：她是一名業餘音樂愛好者，她對音樂的熱情持續了一輩子，她珍藏的八冊「橋頓樂集」(Chawton Collection)是最好的證明。這些樂譜形式不一，有的是現成的印刷譜，有的是珍．奧斯汀親手謄寫的手抄譜，這些珍貴的第一手資源讓今人得以一窺這位小說家真實的音樂世界。 珍．奧斯汀擅長彈奏鋼琴，橋頓樂集主要以鍵盤樂曲和歌曲兩大樂種構成，都與鋼琴相關，樂曲內容不只反映出英國鋼琴正值急遽發展的歷史背景，也展現出英國音樂舞台多樣化的風貌。樂曲的收錄來源廣泛，有義大利莊歌劇，也有歡樂花園的流行歌曲，有輝煌的軍隊進行曲，也有家庭聚會用的小型舞曲；廣納百川、雅俗不拘。此外大量的鍵盤原創曲目，也見證了倫敦鋼琴樂派在鋼琴工業的帶動下乘勢興起。這些樂曲，尤其是歌劇選曲，其相關的戲劇內容和珍．奧斯汀的小說有許多共通性，珍．奧斯汀顯然將其作為小說創作的原型。橋頓樂集不只為珍．奧斯汀提供日常音樂消遣，也是她寫作的重要靈感來源。The heroines in Jane Austen’s novels are well known for their musical accomplishments. Vivid descriptions of musical scenes are seen everywhere in Austen’s works. Her creations were derived from her real life, where she was an amateur musician with lifelong passion. The Chawton Collection, eight volumes of music books that she treasured, is the best testimony. These music books consist of sheet music in different forms, including printed scores and manuscripts copied by the novelist herself. These precious primary sources lead the way for us to have a glance at the real musical world Austen lived in and experienced. Jane Austen was an avid pianist, and the Chawton Collection is an anthology of piano pieces and songs. Both genres are related to the piano, reflecting the historical background that the instrument was in a rapid ascend into prominence, and demonstrating the wide variety of the English music scene. The compositions are diverse, from Italian serious operas to popular songs sang in the pleasure gardens, from brilliant military marches to small dances for family gatherings. All kinds of music are collected, regardless of where they come from. The massive amount of original piano pieces is the evidence of the rise of London Piano School, brought on by the English piano industry. The contents, especially ones selected from operas, have libretto with plots showing similarities to that of Austen’s novels. It is obvious that Austen draw them as the foundation for her fiction. The Chawton Collection is not merely a daily amusement, it is also a great intellectual resource for the author and the source of her inspirations.