The Fantasies pour le Basse de Violle - discovered in 2015 - are part of those bundles titled “Fantasie” and written for different solo instruments. Starting from the original score for the viola da gamba, the same interpreter, Dietmar Berger, created this version for the cello. The transposition from the viola da gamba to the cello should not be surprising: although they do not belong to the same family, the bounds between them are strong and they marked an entire epoch. In a surprising fact, Telemann dedicated a bundle for an instrument that was no longer in fashion in 1735. The audience and the instrumentalists turned to cello, whereas the viola da gamba belonged to a past time. Yet, J.S. Bach composed the famous Partitas for cello solo and it seemed that his first thought was to dedicate them to the Viola da Gamba! Thus, this recording provides a further stimulus to research the analogies and differences between Bach and Telemann.

Telemann was among the most admired and prolific of composers and his compositions encompass virtually all genres and instrumentations known in his lifetime. The ‘Six Ouvertures,’ strangely neglected for many years, reveal his inventive and imaginative writing for solo harpsichord. They contain elements that suggest an amalgam of French and Italianate influences, whether ‘ouverture-suite’ or three-movement concerto or sonata. Also evident, in the central movements, is Telemann’s preference for Polish folk music, of whose ‘true barbaric beauty’ he was an ardent admirer. Gaku Nakagawa was born in 1993 in Japan. He began playing piano at the age of four, and in 2012 entered the University of Tokyo to study philosophy. Without ever having a harpsichord lesson, he became the first prize winner of the 27th YAMANASHI, Japan, international competition for early music in 2014. This is his debut recording.

Throughout his life, from his very beginnings right up to the end, Telemann wrote for the basse de viole (as the French called it) and especially in chamber music. Of course, the viola da gamba also plays an important role in works intended for larger formations, such as concertos and orchestral suites, church cantatas and, lastly, oratorios. According to the custom of the time, Telemann also used the viol in funeral cantatas. Furthermore, he wrote for it as a solo instrument: for example, the Sonata in D major, TWV 40:1, recorded here, or sonatas for two viols or for viol and basso continuo. The present recording brings together various works with solo viol, selected from different periods of the master’s output. Here one will find a double concerto for recorder, viol, strings and continuo, two solos with basso continuo, a sonata for solo viol and two quartets.

In 1716 Telemann published a new collection of chamber music, designed for violin or flute or oboe with basso continuo accompaniment. He aimed his dedication not towards a noble patron, but at several important musicians of the time, demonstrating a new, proud self-image of the artists among themselves. The composer himself authorized performance of them on the keyboard alone, and so Andrea Coen has taken Telemann at his word and made his own lively arrangements. Each partita consists of a prelude and six brief dances or arias. Despite such seemingly formal uniformity, the cycle of Kleine Kammermusik contains a wealth of ideas, and it is not without reason that Telemann later recycled much of its melodic material: thus we may find here his musical world in miniature. In a short space we find French rondos and chaconnes, reminiscent of the affettuoso style of the Italian trio sonata, chromatic songs of lamentation and dances such as the Minuet, the Jig, the Gavotte and the Passepied. Andrea Coen is an organist, harpsichordist, and fortepianist, who has studied with such distinguished artists as Ton Koopman and Alan Curtis, and has collaborated with such figures as Christopher Hogwood and Monica Huggett. His recordings of Baroque and early-Classical keyboard repertoire for Brilliant Classics have attracted glowing reviews. Coen made the first complete recording of Telemann’s Fantasias (94228). According to MusicWeb International: ‘Coen, an experienced, insightful instrumentalist with a profound knowledge of historical performance practice and a sackful of important recordings under his belt, could make Telemann sound special even on a typewriter.’

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REVIEW:

In Coen’s capable hands (both as an arranger and a performer), these partitas sound convincing as solo harpsichord works. Coen’s arrangements are clear and transparent. The melodic line is prominent, but the bass line and harmonies are there, too — providing just the right amount of support.

Coen plays an exceptional instrument. The action is virtually silent. This album can be appreciated on many different levels: Coen’s interpretations, Telemann’s choice of keys; Teleman’s sequencing of the partitas. And of course, the quality of the music itself. Highly recommended.

– WTJU-FM [Charlottesville, VA] (Ralph Graves)

TELEMANN Flute Concertos: in D, TWV 42:D6; in g, TWV 42:g2; in A, TWV 42:A3; in e, TWV 42:e3; in b, TWV 42:h1; in a, TWV 42:a2 • Claire Guimond (Baroque fl); Luc Beauséjour (hpd) (period instruments) • EARLY-MUSIC.COM 7755 (72: 19)


The six works recorded here were published in Hamburg around 1715–20 with the title Six Concerts and Six Suites for Harpsichord and Flute, or for Harpsichord, Flute and Cello, or for Violin, Flute and Cello or Basso Continuo, or for Harpsichord, Violin, Flute, and Cello. This was obviously an attempt to market these works to as wide an audience as possible. Guimond and Beauséjour contend that Telemann’s original intention was to compose these works for harpsichord and flute, which is the way they are performed here. The flute and harpsichord engage as two equal voices. The “concertos” or “concerts” of the title do not imply a work for solo instrument and orchestra. Rather, they are more closely related to the trio sonata, written in the sonata da chiesa style of four movements, slow-fast-slow-fast.


These six works display Telemann’s ability to write genial, attractive music, though it must be admitted they are not among the most compelling compositions to flow from Telemann’s ready pen. Guimond plays with grace and has good control of her instrument. Beauséjour provides excellent support.


These concertos are not available elsewhere as a group; I only found one concerto otherwise available. This is certainly not an essential purchase, but it makes for pleasant listening.


FANFARE: Ron Salemi

Maria Fedotova, one of the most sought-after Russian flautists, performs as a soloist in the orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre St. Petersburg under Valery Gergiev and teaches at St. Petersburg Conservatory. With this release, Fedotova dedicates herself to the Fantasies by Georg Philipp Telemann. This cycle counts among the first major compositions of the Baroque era for this instrument, combining melodic as well as harmonic elements into a single linear, monophonic voice.

The players of Holland Baroque continue their PENTATONE journey with Telemann Polonoise. Together with violinist Aisslinn Nosky, they take the listener on a journey to the wild nature and lively folk culture of Poland, viewed through the lens of Georg Philipp Telemann, whose Polish travels left a profound mark on his compositional style. Arranged by the ensemble’s artistic leaders Judith and Tineke Steenbrink, Telemann’s Polish concertos and dances sound brisker than ever before. Holland Baroque is an original and innovative baroque orchestra that approaches baroque repertoire through a fresh and contemporary approach, with a focus on improvisation and collaborations with outstanding artists from different traditions. Telemann Polonoise is their second PENTATONE release, after their well-received Silk Baroque (2019), together with Wu Wei. Aisslin Nosky, one of the most pioneering and adventurous early music violinists of our age, makes her PENTATONE debut.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) composed two sets of “Seven times seven plus one Menuet’, resulting in the total of a hundred Menuets. It is not certain what Telemann meant with this numerical title, most likely the biblical holy number 7 plays an important part in it. Telemann’s menuets are well-crafted miniatures of sixteen to forty measures; those of the second collection are generally briefer than those of the first. In both collections, the keys are arranged alphabetically. With few exceptions, the dances are unvarying in their two-reprise structure and four-measure phrasing. Andrea Coen is an organist, harpsichordist, and fortepianist, who has studied with such distinguished artists as Ton Koopman and Alan Curtis, and has collaborated with such figures as Christopher Hogwood and Monica Huggett. His recordings of Baroque and early-Classical keyboard repertoire for Brilliant Classics have attracted glowing reviews. Coen recorded the “Kleine Kammermusik” and made the first complete recording of Telemann’s Fantasias (94228). According to MusicWeb International: ‘Coen, an experienced, insightful instrumentalist with a profound knowledge of historical performance practice and a sackfull of important recordings under his belt, could make Telemann sound special even on a typewriter.’ Andrea Coen about these 100 Menuets: “The most exciting thing, in this journey of a hundred stages, was to find in each individual minuet a unique and unrepeatable sense of originality: a hundred miniatures that compose a kaleidoscope as rich and coherent as was ever heard”.

Telemann published the Kleine Kammermusik in 1716 in Frankfurt: his second published collection, intended for performance equally with violin or flute. His preface indicates that these pieces share a light and cantabile style particularly tailored to amateur performers on their respective instruments, with relatively narrow intervals in the solo part. Nonetheless, their unfailingly stylish melodies invite performance by professionals such as this trio of Italian musicians, experienced in period-instrument performance and with a catalogue of distinguished albums on Brilliant Classics to their credit. The dance movements in each of the six Partitas are quintessential Telemann: brief, unaffected by false intensity even in the three minor-key works, always infused with a lively appreciation of harmony, beautifully proportioned structures and voice-leading that enables each voice of the counterpoint to be heard at any point. Telemann himself advertised the lack of chromaticism with charming candor: ‘I also cultivated the brevity of the Arias, partly to preserve the energy of the performer and partly to avoid boring the listener's ears due to the length… Finally, I have tried to present something that could meet everyone's taste.’ In this it can be conclusively said that he succeeded. The most recent collaboration of these fine musicians was a Brilliant Classics album of recorder sonatas by Marcello, Vivaldi and Bellinzani (96052) which attracted critical praise both for the rarity of the repertoire and the idiomatic finesse of the performances.

Telemann was a musician and composer who lived and worked in Leipzig, Sorau, Eisenach, Frankfurt/Main, and Hamburg. He is considered the most important German composer of the late baroque era, and an extraordinarily productive musician with an oeuvre of over 3,600 works which cover all genres, including opera. He was one of the few artists of his era who was well respected during his lifetime, and he was able to live comfortably from his work as a musician. He was entirely self-taught, playing a variety of instruments, including the recorder, the violin, and the harpsichord. He was also a great proponent of the recorder, which is why he is often described as the greatest recorder composer. His work for the ‘flauto dolce’ includes solo concerts, suites, sonatas, trio sonatas, as well as extended recorder parts in oratorios, passions, and cantatas. Of special significance are the “12 Fantasias for Solo Flute,” published in Hamburg in 1733, which, along with the “36 Fantasias for Harpsichord,” the “12 Fantasias for Solo Violin,” and the “12 Fantasias for Viola da Gamba,” complement Telemann’s oeuvre for solo instruments without bass accompaniment. The “12 Fantasias” recorded on this album are based on a transposition for treble recorder which is stored in the library of the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Brussels.

Christian Heim (recorder and viola da gamba) and Avinoam Shalev (harpsichord) invite you to follow Georg Philipp Telemann‘s road to fame via an exclusive tour of his „workshop“ – unpredictable and adventurous, from heated exchanges to fanciful solo flights without a safety net. 5 different combinations of 3 instruments played by 2 musicians with music of 1 composer: Telemann intimissimo! Christian Heim and Avinoam Shalev met while playing with the Baroque orchestra „la festa musicale” and have performed together in different ensembles ever since, including Ensembe La Ninfea. This album, their first duo project, allowed them to apply their curiosity and enthusiasm to an exploration of solo and duo combinations. Their mutual inspiration and communication are a catalyst for new ideas and further cooperation. Pieces recorded here include:

Sonata in C from „Essercizii musici“ TWV 41:C5

Fantasia Nr.8 in G minor TWV 40:9

Sonata in E minor from „Essercizii musici“ TWV 41:e5

Fantasia Nr.6 in G major TWV 40:31

Concerto in G minor TWV 51:g1

Fantasia in D major TWV 40:8

Sonata in F minor from „Der getreue Music-Meister“ TWV 41:f1

Fantasia 11 in D minor TWV 40:36

Sonata in G major from „Der getreue Music-Meister“ TWV 41:G6

A guide to contentment and optimism: these are the gems from Georg Philipp Telemann's "Moral Cantatas" that mezzo-soprano Susanne Langner has collected on her new GENUIN release. With remarkable vocal elegance, the singer, who works with renowned formations such as amarcord, the Lautten Compagney, and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, takes up the cudgels for the vocal chamber music of the great Hamburg composer, unfortunately still overshadowed by his instrumental works. A true source of beautiful melodies and witty texts, distinctively and imaginatively set!

Minuets, sarabands, bourrées, gigues, gavottes, hornpipes and polonaises. Like many other composers, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) used dance as a foundation for his compositions and this is no more evident than in his fantasias for flute, where we find several examples. Although the music is written for neither the ballroom, theatre nor opera, references to the baroque French court dance are clear and abundant. The music therefore invites something more than a pure listening experience, also evoking movement and corporeal responses. When music of the 18th century is interpreted today it is not necessarily the qualities of dance which set the framework for the performance. Nor were the fantasias for flute written specifically for dance. Even though the form is free, the references to dance can still provide indications and inspiration for further ways to experience the music. One of these is tempo. If dance tune is played too slowly, the dance will be affected by it. For example, balancing on one leg and pirouetting will require a stronger technique. Too slow a tempo could lead to a certain stiffness, but a tempo can also be too fast, in which case it would be challenging for the dancer to perform all steps with the required precision. It is not always as easy to recognize the underlying dance in the music, but given the required effort the rhythms and different characteristics of the dances can be sensed – the swing, flow and movement in the basic structures of the music can be perceived. Let your fantasy unwind, open up the creative space, and allow the music to move both body and soul!

Telemann was renowned in his own day for the spontaneity and fluency of his music, which appealed to professional and amateur musicians alike. These qualities abound in his trio sonatas in particular. As he wrote in one of his autobiographies (1718): ‘In particular, people wished to persuade me that trios were my greatest strength, because I arranged them so that one voice would have as much to do as the other.’ All the Telemann trio sonatas in which the recorder is accompanied by one or another of the viols can be found on this album. As Telemann keeps changing his tune, no two trio sonatas are alike. In the Trio Sonata in D minor (TWV 42:d7) he saves the Polish style for the final measures, to achieve an irresistible finale effect. Although he does not shun virtuosity, these sonatas contain slow movements of unparalleled tenderness. The most rigorous of all, without sounding it, is the Trio Sonata in C major (TWV 42:C2), in which the recorder and the bass viol play in canon in all four movements. In his Quartet in G major (TWV 43:G10) Telemann combines two bass viols with a traverso. Erik Bosgraaf plays the solo part on a voice flute, a tenor recorder in D, ideal for playing traverso repertoire without having to transpose. This quartet exhibits his mastery of musical party-games by constantly alternating role patterns in the fast movements. Finally, there is an F major Suite which gives the starring roles to the chalumeau (an early form of the bassoon), another of the many instruments Telemann had learnt to play in his youth.

Every Sunday Telemann had to perform a church cantata and several Passion recitals, as well as one Passion oratorio every year. For the festive season he was required to deliver a composition for each and every holy day. In the 15 years he was there, during which he also directed the opera, he composed about 20 operas, as well as other music for large ensembles. In spite of his immense productivity, the quality of his work remained unaffected, and he was still able to create beautiful gems such as the Moral Cantatas and the solos for baroque flute, violin and viol. The cantatas served the musical cultivation of the Hamburg bourgeoisie and reflected a contemporary concern; the improvement of morals and the search for the joys of life as a consequence of modesty, reason, tolerance and a moral rectitude with regard to other people, in the sense of the philosophy of Enlightenment.