Classical Music

The discovery of Telemann’s previously unknown Altona Jubel-Music von 1760 in an omnibus manuscript belonging to the Hamburg State and University Library but first returned in 1998 from Armenia, where it had been deposited for wartime safekeeping, is remarkable in several respects. »Already immediately after the first performance of the work in Altona’s principal church on 16 October 1760, an unknown reporter writing in the Altonaer Mercurius judged that it was ‘a superbly beautiful composition.’ And it is in fact a qualitatively outstanding composition ranking with the best that Telemann composed during his last years. One more top-quality work increases our knowledge of Telemann’s late oeuvre. Until a few years ago it was also not known to what an astonishing degree Telemann had been active as a composer in Altona (at least twelve festive compositions written from 1741 to 1764), which then belonged to Denmark, or that at the time there was even a noteworthy musical scene in Altona. The two-part composition consisting of sixteen numbers to the text of an unknown poet honors King Frederick V of Denmark on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the hereditary sovereignty of the Danish royal house« (Jurgen Neubacher, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg).

The goal of the Telemann Festival Days in Magdeburg is to perform the works by Georg Philipp Telemann in concert with artists of international rank. The focus of the festival program is formed by full-length, magnificent compositions including operas, oratorios, passions, and cantatas. Telemann’s "absolutely stunning productivity" (Georg von Dadelsen) manifests itself in special measure in his cantata oeuvre. And in the cantatas heard on this new CD, recorded during a concert held at the next-to-last day of the festival, Telemann again proves to be among the eighteenth-century’s most important composers of sacred music.

Throughout his life Telemann collaborated with outstanding poets who wrote his sacred music texts mostly for complete annual cycles. This practice enabled him to design each annual cycle – seventy as a rule - with two cantatas for each Sunday and feast day, in accordance with distinctive program concepts. Telemann's compositions of great variety are often opulently endowed with a full instrumental ensemble and in this way emphasize the significance of each particular feast day. Telemann often goes far beyond the customary expressive intensity of the traditional two-part form involving the setting of biblical quotations, resulting in highly gripping and brilliant music!

- CPO [Translated from German notes]

TELEMANN Herr, wir liegen für dir mit unserm Gebet, TWV 1: 781. Es wollt uns Gott genädig sein, TWV 1:544. Es spricht der Unweisen Mund, TWV 1:533a. So ziehet nun an, TWV 1:1390. Wertes Zion, sei getrost, TWV 1: 1606 • Gotthold Schwarz, cond; Siri Karoline Thornhill (sop); Stefan Kahle (ct); Susanne Krumbiegel (alt); Tobias Hunger (ten); Gotthold Schwarz (bs); Bach Consort Leipzig; Sächsisches Barock O (period instruments) • CPO 777 7532 (70:36 Text and Translation)


It is no surprise that Telemann, along with Johann Sebastian Bach and Christoph Graupner, can be considered the main composers of the Lutheran cantata during the first half of the 18th century. After all, the Harmonisches Gottesdienst was meant to provide first-rate but easily performable cantatas in cyclic form for the year for places that were missing larger vocal and instrumental forces, and this published set is only a small tithe of the works that he was to write for the church. Thus, calling this set of five works Luther Cantatas , as the title of the disc has it, rather begs the question of redundancy. Nevertheless, when three texts of that number are by Erdmann Neumeister, the main promoter of the genre, such a rubric should be accepted.


These works are all outgrowths of the Magdeburg Telemann Festival, which annually seems to unearth and perform an almost inexhaustible supply of the composer’s music, and the 21st season was devoted to the theme of his connection with Luther. As was usual with Telemann, the structure of these cantatas varies considerably. The first, Herr, wir liegen für dir , is conventional, with pairs of arias and recitatives bookended by the choral “Dictum” and a final chorale. In the second, the usual recitative is omitted altogether, and it is prefaced by a nicely suspensive sinfonia, while in the third Telemann dispenses with the arias, allowing the threefold choral repetitions (two chorales and a final chorus) to be separated by brief recitatives, the second of which does have a brief devolution into a duet Dictum at the end. The movements can be rather conventional, such as his square setting of A mighty fortress in the final cantata Wertes Zion , or the other chorale tunes. But he also inserts moments of harmonic and melodic boldness, such as the tortuous melismas of the aria “Weg, ihr Sünden” in the first cantata, which get spun out by the bass as if to underscore the text “kränkt mich nicht” (do not constrict or grieve me). The second cantata even ends with a gnarly contrapuntal “Amen” fugue that seems startling, given the almost homophonic nature of the preceding chorales. Telemann is also quite inventive in terms of his use of instrumentation. In the first aria of the first cantata, “Was ich an Gerechtigkeit,” the two flutes (traversos) weave a gentle crystalline minuet around a flowing soprano line that is like a clear brook. In the first duet of the second cantata, Es wollt uns Gott , the oboes are wonderfully throaty, with their darker tone colors emphasizing some curious harmonic inflections that support the parallel thirds of the solo voices. In the last cantata, Telemann uses his high trumpets both as soaring clarion calls and as fanfares. In the chorus, “Seid böse, ihr Völker,” the admonitions of the voices are punctuated by a militaristic brass line, which is suddenly interrupted by plaintive minor-key insertions that provide abrupt and effective dramatic contrast.


In short, these are all excellent examples of the Lutheran church cantata of the time, equal to the same sort of works that were being turned out by Bach over in Leipzig. Conductor Gotthold Schwarz keeps the ensemble clean and crisp, with a nice variety of tempos that emphasize Telemann’s contrasts. He also functions as bass soloist, with a light tone that handles the often twisting lines well. Soprano Siri Thornhill has a bright voice that can sound, as in the aria “Was ich an Gerechtigkeit,” innocent and reticent, just what the Affekt requires. Countertenor Stefan Kahle and alto Susanne Krumbiegel are flexible, as is the precise tone of tenor Tobias Hunger. In short, not only are these fine examples of Telemann’s style in cantata writing, the performances support and present them in a way that promotes their compositional features. My only quibble is that I seem to hear a pair of horns in the background of the straightforward chorale “Ein feste Burg,” which are not mentioned in the list of personnel. That does provide a nice support for the voices, but they should have been mentioned. Other than that, this is a disc that Telemann collectors will want. Recommended.


FANFARE: Bertil van Boer

Classical Music

TELEMANN Violin Concertos: in G, TWV 51:G5; in Bb TWV 51:B2; in F, TWV 51:F3; in A, TWV 51:A3; in f#, TWV 51:fis1. Double Violin Concerto in e, TWV 52:e4. Concerto in A for 4 Violins, TWV 54:A1 • Elizabeth Wallfisch (vn, cond); The Wallfisch Band • CPO 777 550 (58:24)


The notes to Volume 5 of violinist and conductor Elizabeth Wallfisch’s collection of “Complete Violin Concertos” by Georg Philipp Telemann explain that all these works come from an early period in the composer’s production, in which he tried to break free from the Italian influence (thus, perhaps, the unvarying four-movement pattern of these works). Still, Vivaldi’s energy, channeled by typical Italian violin figuration, reappears in the Molto allegro of the Concerto in G Major, TWV 51:G5. Arcangelo Corelli’s sequences appear in the finale of that concerto, but the passages bounce with a helium-like buoyancy worlds removed from Corelli’s more stately elegance. The Concerto in Bb-Major, TWV 51:B2, begins with a slow movement that integrates the solo into the ensemble in a way that’s more Corellian than Vivaldian—but seems essentially Telemann’s own invention. The Concerto in F Major, TWV 51:F3, drapes a flowing violin solo over a bustling near-ostinato motive that maintains a lively demeanor throughout the movement. As the ensuing Allegro shows, Telemann’s idea of a concerto soloist, especially in the fast movements (and even in the slow ones) differs markedly from that of Vivaldi and Bach, allowing the solos to emerge from the texture as Corelli did in his Concerti grossi, op. 6, or Giuseppe Torelli did even in his solo concertos. That’s not to say that the works seem soporific from the violinistic point of view: The concerto’s finale, with its brusque, ruddy energy, never allows a listener’s attention to wander, even if the violinist isn’t spinning technical fantasies in the manner of Pietro Locatelli or Jean-Marie Leclair. In the Concerto in A Major, TWV 51: A3, Wallfisch and her ensemble effectively employ dynamic contrasts to create a bracing atmosphere. Here, as elsewhere, Wallfisch rises to a high soloistic profile when the music demands it—it’s clear from passages like these that she sinks the individual, when she does, for musical reasons rather than for any natural reticence or idea of soloistic integration. She and the ensemble play the chords in the brief, almost purely transitional, Adagio with attention-garnering freshness. In the finale, she once again strikes a more virtuosic attitude. The Concerto in F# Minor may be cast in an unusual key, but it’s hardly crabbed; and Wallfisch makes the double-stops of its slow movement sound at once mellifluous and commanding. Still, she’s able to lower her profile in the contrapuntal finale.


The collection includes two concertos for multiple soloists. The first of these, the Concerto in E Minor for Two Violins, TWV 52:E4, blends the soloists seamlessly in the first movement. In this work, violinist Evan Few joins Wallfisch. They don’t engage in the second movement in simple parallel motion, as Torelli might lead them in a similarly crafted work; but they do alternate passages in which they answer each other with others in which they run side-by-side. In the Concerto for Four Violins in A Major, TWV 54:A1, violinists Gabrielle Wunsch and Susan Carpenter Jacobs join Wallfisch. If, as Wolfgang Hirschmann’s notes point out, the textures hardly suggest a concerto for four soloists (with two of them melded into the orchestral texture), the resulting sonorities still seem rich and thick in this performance.


If every one of these concertos might strike listeners as a candidate for the standard repertoire, not one of them has yet entered it. Perhaps this release may start the process of admission. Like the earlier volumes in the series, this fifth volume deserves a heartfelt commendation.


FANFARE: Robert Maxham

Baroque master Telemann set the St. Luke Passion in 11 different versions. He did so because he composed for 5 of Hamburg’s principal churches and had the task of setting the passion narrative from the Gospel of Luke in alternation with those in Matthew, Mark, and John at regular y year intervals. He did not want to repeat himself in this performance series.

The Magdeburg Sunday Concerts held ever since 1961 focus on chamber music. Not infrequently, as the present release likewise demonstrates, compositions by Telemann are featured and include works again made available for the everyday concert world in Magdeburg following intensive research investigations and the publication of modern score editions. From the 531st Sunday music concert, the GSOConsort led by the soprano and artistic director Gudrun Sidonie Otto now presents Advent cantata arias with a single vocal part and the continuo in a duet. These arias belong to a single annual cantata cycle published by Telemann from the end of 1726 to the end of 1727. They have been excerpted from church compositions designed with this option in mind, that is, the independent performance of the arias. Telemann revised the arias for publication; in particular, he worked on the precision of the ritornellos, shortening, redesigning, or rewriting them, or eliminated them entirely. Just how carefully the arias have been elaborated is shown both on the formal level and in what in part are complicated and unusual melodic, declamatory-rhythmical, and harmonic processes in an impressive spectrum of musical keys (Hirschmann, 2012). Telemann of course pays close attention to the verbal pictures, often also opposing ones, given in the texts – and does so in a most highly nuanced manner.

Includes work(s) by Georg Philipp Telemann. Ensemble: Michaelstein Telemannisches Collegium. Conductor: Ludger Rémy.

BAVARIA

The Places
Bavaria, in south Germany, in earlier times ruled by an Elector, whose capital was Munich, is a region of the greatest variety. The places seen here start with the Bavarian Forest and its traditional craft of glass-blowing. Other scenes are of the great palace of the Thurn und Taxis Princes at Regensburg and the fine baroque monastery church of St George and St Martin at Weltenburg.

The Music
Music for the tour is by Telemann, a friend and contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach, founder of the Leipzig Collegium Musicum later directed by Bach, godfather to Bach’s second son and for many years in charge of music in Hamburg, where he was later succeeded by his godson. The music here includes a Suite for recorder and strings, and two concertos from his Tafelmusik, one for three violins and the other for two horns.

Picture format: NTSC 4:3
Sound format: Dolby Digital 5.1/ DTS 5.1/PCM Stereo 2.0
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Running time: 53 mins
No. of DVDs: 1

R E V I E W:

Bavaria, in south Germany, has a convoluted history. Conquered by the Romans, it was taken by Charlemagne and incorporated into his empire before becoming one of the great Duchies of the Holy Roman Empire. The Duchy joined the German Empire in 1871, whilst remaining a kingdom until 1918. It was an early base for Hitler and became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.
 
Bavaria is renowned for the beauty of its rolling landscape and the charm of its villages, neither being the focus of this issue which starts with a visit to a glass factory in Frauenau. The sequence (CHs. 1-8), each with a one-line description in the booklet, is accompanied by extracts from Telemann’s recorder Suite in A minor played by Capella Istropolitana. The baroque music comes over as an ideal accompaniment to the glass-blowing and engraving skills on show which now benefit from modern technology but which date back nearly seven hundred years in this region. The technique of blowing molten glass takes power in the cheeks and lungs akin to a brass instrument; the beer belly is, however, not a pre-requisite.
 
The second visit (CHs.9-11) takes the viewer to Schloss Thurn and Taxis, Regensburg. This became the family home of the former postmaster to the Empress who established the first postal system in Europe and was given the old Abbey of St Emmerman as a reward. Views of the spectacular staircase and gentle ceiling décor are accompanied by more baroque music by Telemann. This takes the form of his Concerto for three violins, which, together with that for three violins is taken from his Tafelmusik.
 
The final visit is to the Abbey of St George and St. Martin, Weltenberg, near Kelheim. German and Celtic monks founded the Abbey in the seventh century. Its location, on a peninsula of the Danube, permits some views of the countryside as the building is approached along the river. It’s a dull day that does not do justice to the colours of the trees or surrounding countryside. The views of the façade are accompanied by Telemann’s Concerto for Two Horns whose haunting tone contrasts interestingly with both the simplicity of the exterior and the showy ornaments of the interior.
 
The playing time is somewhat shorter than the more usual hour. A little of the Bavarian countryside, in its usual summer sun would not have gone amiss. There is some repetition of photographs in the glass-blowing factory.
 
-- Robert J Farr, MusicWeb International

The Hamburger Ratsmusik – an ensemble looking back on a five-hundred-year history – teams up with the young countertenor Benno Schachtner on this recording of Georg Philipp Telemann’s Six Moral Cantatas. During the decades between 1720 and 1750 the middle class of the early Enlightenment sought moral education and ethical improvement deriving from human nature and reason as part of its never-ending quest for earthly happiness. It was with wit and charm that in his Moral Cantatas of 1735 Telemann set to music a poetic document conveying the spirit of this Enlightenment period. His only recently rediscovered Fantasies for Solo Viola da Gamba, published at the same time, are presented here in alternation with his Moral Cantatas, the title with which they were announced in a catalogue dating from August 1735. These two collections first performed together during a concert of the Hamburger Ratsmusik at the last Telemann Festival are now being presented here for the first time. These two works by Telemann were intended for professional and amateur musicians alike, and they seem to have met with special resonance among those interested parties who wanted to perform at home in smaller ensembles.

Telemann impresses once again with this Kapitänsmusik - the characters are perfectly portrayed.

One of the many duties of Georg Philipp Telemann as Musikdirektor in Hamburg was the composition of the Kapitänsmusik. This was to be performed every year during the convivium, the festive banquet of the sixty-seven members of the officer corps of the civic guard. This event took place on the first Thursday after St Bartholomew's Day (24 August). The Kapitänsmusik consisted of two parts. It started with an oratorio which was performed during the midday meal; the serenata was played in the evening. Telemann composed 36 such works, of which only nine have survived.

In the (sacred) oratorio the many blessings of Hamburg are spelled out, mostly by a character called Hammonia (Hamburg). She calls on the citizens to praise God for his blessings. Here this is expressed, for instance, in a chorus of Hammonia with her children: "Holy being, you source of good, blessing and prosperity issue forth from you. You make sure that Hamburg's wall forever stand. Take from us the thanks for this." allegorical characters turn up which declare their bond with the city: Die Andacht (Devotion), Die Gerechtigkeit (Justice), Die Wahrheit (Truth) and Das Vertrauen (Trust). As in most such pieces there is an opposing character: Die Unachtsamkeit (Negligence). He acknowledges that there is much to enjoy in Hamburg, but for him the blessings are rather the earthly pleasures, like food and drink: "I look forward to the oyster season". He doesn't want to waste any time thinking about "the source of the blessing and its surplus". The other characters react with abhorrence, as Negligence "forgets that our God is the origin of good", as Devotion says. Hammonia then says he should "avoid my domain". The oratorio ends with the last stanza from the hymn 'Herr Gott, wir danken dir' (Johann Franck, 1618-1677).

The serenata is quite dramatic. This is to be expected because Telemann was a successful opera composer; from 1722 until its closure in 1738 he was the director of the Oper am Gänsemarkt. But this serenata is more dramatic than those in other Kapitänsmusiken in that its central subject is war. There was a historical reason for that. Hamburg was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, and its emperor, Charles VI, had been involved in a war against the Ottoman empire since 1737. Although Hamburg was not directly struck by the war, it was part of the empire and therefore involved in the conflict. The serenata begins with a 'Chorus of the Heroes' in the form of a battaglia: "The drum calls with rolling beats, the mortars roar, the swords flash - this brings joy to our brave hearts". The warriors are encouraged by Der Kriegsgeist (The Spirit of War), the Elbe asks the shepherds to end their joy and "lay down your gentle flutes". It is then Die Zaghaftigkeit (Timidity) who describes the horrors of the war: "My heart beats in my horrified breast to think of the ominous gloom of signs of misfortune. (...) O who, who will save us from ruin?" Then Der Friede (Peace) enters and declares that "I am the one who watches over you". This gives Timidity new strength.

In the last part of the serenata the enemy is specifically mentioned. The Spirit of War says: "The eagle leads the legions before Istanbul's now horrified gate. He displays in sharpened talons, the sword drawn for Turkish ruin". He is encouraged by the Elbe: "Go, let German courage accustom the wild Saracens even more to servitude". This is followed by an aria which has again the form of a battaglia. As in the oratorio there is an opposing character. This time it is Der Neid (Envy) which expresses his "pleasure in Germany's misfortune". "I even see now with happy eyes the whole burden and your demise coming". But then Der Schutzgeist Deutschlands (Germany's Guardian Spirit) turns up and declares: "Germany is loved by heaven itself. Up, heroes, up to the fight". The serenata ends with a chorus: "Germany's glory shall always stand, and your happy prosperity, Hamburg/Schwerin, is ordained by God".

Considering that Germany was no political unity, but a patchwork of largely independent territories the use of the term 'Germany' is remarkable. It was hardly used in those days, and in his liner-notes Eckart Kleßman sees it as an expression of the wish "to put an end to the notorious threat posed to the practically defenseless German states, to strengthen their self-confidence, and to reinforce this self-confidence with military security". Whatever the reason may be, this aspect and the pronounced treatment of the subject of war makes this Kapitänsmusik rather unique in this part of Telemann's oeuvre.

One of the dramatic features of the serenata is the representation of the characters. In particular The Spirit of War and Timidity are remarkable, as well as Envy. The characteristics of these protagonists are impressively explored by the singers. In the oratorio it is the role of Negligence which attracts attention. Here Immo Schröder shines in his humorous portrayal of this character. Veronika Winter gives an immaculate performance of the role of Hammonia. As Germany's Guardian Spirit she sings the last aria of this work, 'Ergreifet den Degen' (Grip the sword) which is quite virtuosic. But most arias are pitched at a considerable technical level, and Telemann again shows his creative spirit, not only in the vocal parts but also in the instrumental score.

This Kapitänsmusik was first performed in modern times in 1965 in the former GDR, but its text had to be changed in many respects, for political reasons. Therefore the live performance in 2007 in Knechtsteden which was recorded by the German classical channel WDR Cologne and released by CPO, is the work's first modern performance in its original state. Hermann Max and all other participants deserve our gratitude for bringing this very fine piece of music to our attention. I am looking forward to the Kapitänsmusiken which are still waiting to be recorded.

-- Johan van Veen, MusicWeb International

TELEMANN: Tafelmusik (Complete)

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Includes work(s) by Georg Philipp Telemann. Ensemble: Cologne Camerata.

Franz Schubert's chamber music occupies a vital place in the Western classical canon, demonstrating both his lyrical genius and emotional depth. Though he is widely known for his lieder and symphonies, his chamber works represent some of the most profound and innovative compositions of the early Romantic era. The String Quintet in C major, D. 956, written just weeks before Schubert's death in 1828, stands as one of the towering achievements in chamber music. Scored for two cellos instead of the more common two violas, the work is known for it's rich, warm textures and emotional contrasts. The slow movement, in particular, is a masterclass in stillness and poignancy, often cited as one of the most sublime moments in all of chamber music. Schubert's string quartets trace his compositional development and deepening expressiveness. The Death and the Maiden quartet (D. 810) is especially significant, combining dramatic intensity with variations on his earlier song of the same name. The juxtaposition of lyrical beauty with stark fatalism reflects Schubert's own grappling with mortality and human vulnerability. His piano trios blend lyricism and formal sophistication. The trios are notable for their expansive melodies, rich harmonic language, and a sense of narrative continuity that hints at the symphonic. The violin sonatas (often referred to as "sonatinas") are earlier works, more modest in scope but filled with charm and grace. While not as emotionally profound as his later chamber works, they already display Schubert's melodic gift and innate sense of dialogue between instruments. The Trout Quintet (D. 667) is perhaps Schubert's most popular chamber work. It's unusual instrumentation featuring piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass and the famous set of variations on his song "Die Forelle" make it instantly appealing. Yet beyond it's surface charm, the work demonstrates Schubert's brilliance in crafting color and contrast, blending joy and depth seamlessly. Altogether, Schubert's chamber music reveals a composer capable of exploring the most intimate corners of the human soul. These works remain essential listening, offering profound insight into the expressive potential of small ensembles. Excellent performances by the Diogenes Quartet, the Amsterdam Piano Trio and the Berlin Philharmonic Octet.

In 455, the tribe of the Vandals lived up to their name when they, along with their king Gaiseric, paid an unforgettable visit to the eternal city of Rome. The literal birth of Vandalism forms the backdrop to this spectacular opera. On 13 July 1722, Georg Philipp Telemann demonstrated with this stage work that the hanseatic city of Hamburg had just appointed him as it's new opera director for the best of reasons. Der Sieg der Schonheit (The Victory of Beauty) is an intricately baroque love story with a quadruple happy ending, over the course of which all kinds of uncertainties have to be overcome. The composer pulls out all the musical and dramaturgical stops at his disposal, including captivating arias, grand choruses, martial music and intimate emotions. The result was a resounding success with audiences, a victory of beauty that - as can be heard here - still echoes today.

On 13 April 1716, the long-awaited heir to the Habsburg throne was born. All of Europe rejoiced, for it was expected that the Spanish War of Succession so recently ended would not rekindle into another disastrous conflict. The city of Frankfurt am Main, where emperors were elected and crowned, marked the event on 17 May with a huge celebration, and Georg Philipp Telemann contributed two large-scale works for it. The performances in the Barf�sserkirche and on the R�merberg were part of a day-long series of festive activities with hours of carillons ringing and hundreds of cannon salutes-but it was music director Telemann who emerged victorious in the end. Understandably so, as the first recording of the two festive pieces reveals. These two gems further enrich our label's Telemann catalogue.

Recorded in: Goldsmith's College, New Cross, London 6-8 April 1993 Producer(s) Nicholas Anderson Sound Engineer(s) Richard Lee

Telemann’s legacy is extremely extensive and comprises all the customary musical genres of the time. Typical of Telemann are cantablie melodies, inventively applied timbres and, especially in his late works, unusual harmonic effects. The instrumental works frequently reveal the strong influence of French and Italian music, and occasionally folkloristic Polish influences. Stefan Schilli, solo oboist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony, has strongly committed himself to this repertoire; this forms the basis for the creation of the present CD with Schilli’s “Accademia giocosa”.

TELEMANN Funeral Music for Emperor Karl VII, Ich hoffete aufs Licht, TWV 4:13 • Michael Schneider, cond; Gabriele Hierdeis, Annegret Kleindopf (sop); Dmitry Egorov (ct); Ulrike Anderen (alt); Georg Poplutz, Benjamin Kirchner (ten); Nils Cooper, Stepha Schreckenberger (bs); La Stagione Frankfurt (period instruments) • CPO 777 603-2 (62:53 Text and Translation)


Here is another of what seems like a flurry of Georg Philipp Telemann’s occasional music composed for the city of Hamburg during his long tenure there. In 1745 the Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation, Karl VII, died in Vienna. Since Austria and Prussia were in the middle of both the Silesian War and the War of the Austrian Succession, Karl, the erstwhile non-Hapsburg Elector of Bavaria, had seemed a decent compromise, and even though Hamburg was technically not part of the empire, it was a protected city due to its strategic importance as a northern port not dominated by archenemy Prussia. Therefore the city father felt obligated to celebrate Imperial events, and Telemann was certainly willing to oblige. The text chosen was by the chief pastor of St. Catherine’s Church, Joachim Zimmermann, and Telemann wrote the work in his usual manner, that is, quickly and efficiently.


The work is written in oratorio fashion in two parts based upon a combination of quotations from the Bible, newly written poetry, and an appropriate selection of chorales, all part and parcel of the normal Hamburg sacred musical text. For the composer, this was not extraordinary, but the convoluted performance circumstances, wherein the work was mixed in with normal church services, required him to hire extra musicians and to make do with a small chorus musicus of only eight singers, who performed both solo and choral roles. The music itself is vintage Telemann on the cusp of Empfindsamkeit and with hints of the Baroque peeking through. Throughout the work are several “dicta,” commentaries and prayers, which Telemann often sets in homophonic fashion. The second, “Die Güte des Herrn,” has a stern set of dotted rhythms in the strings that make the sometimes strange harmonic modulations more apparent, while the chorale tunes are both normal four-part settings or, as in “Uns lässet zwar,” suddenly appear from within the recitative, here to a continuo line that begins to walk with a steady eighth-note pace. There are moments where Telemann’s use of the orchestra is masterly, such as the soft lyrical line for alto (with choral punctuations) “Lasst uns klagen” with the timpani beating a funereal comma even as the piece winds along in a major key. Telemann’s arias, such as “Die ihr auf unbekannte Wellen” with fits and starts, swirling strings, and clarion trumpets, or “Melde, gewognes Gerüchte,” which was reused in the oratorio Tage des Gerichts , are filled with the contrasting dynamics, rhythmic-motivic structures, and textures of the early Empfindsamkeit ; indeed, they could all have been written by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Telemann’s successor some two decades later. Even the recitatives weave in and out of accompagnato, making the text flow together. The final chorus, “O du Volk vom teutschen Samen,” is a verse and refrain, and although there is a chorale-like cantus firmus for one of the verses, the expected counterpoint is missing entirely, making the work more intimate.


Michael Schneider’s direction keeps the tempos moving along and the performance crisp. The eight-member soloist-chorus sounds at times much larger, but the voices are equally adept at their solo numbers. Nils Cooper’s bass, in particular, has that nice, light German sound that I find particularly attractive in Telemann’s (and Bach’s) music. The recording is, as always with cpo, well staged and the sound clear. This is clearly a work that anyone who fancies Telemann ought to have in their collection, for it shows that the composer was talented and able to bridge styles, occasions, and requirements with ease.


FANFARE: Bertil van Boer


La Stagione Frankfurt with Michael Schneider have a good history of inspiring, original and stimulating performances of music from the High/Late Baroque period - particularly that of Telemann. Here they are again with that composer's Trauermusic für Kaiser Karl VII [TVWV 4:13], 'Funeral music on the death of Emperor Charles VII'. The CD is part of CPO’s 'Musica sacra Hamburgensis 1600-1800' series; it's a rarity which has much to recommend it.

The emperor's death in 1745 was a significant event for (the citizens of) Hamburg … he had offered protection against a number of potential and actual enemies. Arrangements for formal and elaborate ceremonies marking his death were expedited quickly. So what we have on this CD is music originally written for a specific occasion in the middle of the north German eighteenth century. But its beauty, sobriety and delicate restraint can speak to us now. Especially when performers as experienced and insightful expose and embrace the idiom of Telemann so well.

The Hamburg City Council commissioned Telemann to write funeral music to texts by Joachim Johann Zimmermann (1710-1767), who had already proved himself with equivalents for the emperor's own coronation and his predecessor's funeral. What we have here is an amalgam of free poetry, Biblical material and hymns. It's divided into two parts of roughly equal length - one to be performed either side of a sermon. Its tone is as much about expressing concern for an uncertain future as a panegyric on the dear departed.

Somehow Telemann conveys the anguish relating to the threat which an uncertain future held as much as the grief at the emperor's death. He dos this not by writing music that's tentative or insipid. Instead this is achieved through using modulations of key and trills, specific voice and instrument combinations and musical phrasing that would perhaps indicate impatience in other contexts. Here they are somewhat unsettling … the soprano recitative, Du bleibst indessen [tr. 20], for instance. The contradiction between words ("you are constant") and melodic and textural wavering is an odd one; but it nevertheless successfully adds to the unpredictability of the situation.

Several aspects of the music stand out: the use of a rather prominent drum at key moments - recorded very forward; and some striking chromatic passages - in the Dictum for chorus, Meine Harfe ist [tr.13], for example. Instrumentation is interesting: muted, shady and reserved; not at all grand nor yet lugubrious. La Stagione Frankfurt respects and breathes full life into this highly nuanced set of atmospheres and allusive writing. They are aided by the variety of compositional forms - arias of types, chorales, recitatives and choral interpositions - which Telemann uses. Rarely do such contrasts really call for flourishes. When they do come - as in the short choral Dictum, Ach daß müssen [tr 25] - Schneider and his forces afford them all the more impact. Otherwise one is struck by the level, even-tempered, though no less vigorous and definite pace and 'attack' delivered by soloists, choir and instrumentalists.

The mildness and sense of having all expression, developmental lines and partnerships between text and music well within these musicians' grasp is matched by a quiet and purposeful energy throughout this hour long performance. There are single memorable moments - the final chorus, O Du Volk [tr. 29], for instance. But one is left with a more general feeling of music written for an occasion about which we cannot possibly have the strength of sentiment that contemporaries evidently did. Yet this touches us with its graceful observance of the complex public feelings and slightly suppressed hope for the future. This, by its very nature is more generalised, in music that's thoughtful, yet almost extrovert.

The booklet that comes with the CD contains much useful background information, the text in German and English, and details of the performers - though it is set in an almost impossibly small font size. The acoustic is clear and aids our understanding of the equally clean and unruffled articulation of the text by the eight soloists of La Stagione Frankfurt.

Each issue in the series, 'Musica sacra Hamburgensis 1600-1800', has been worth a close look. Ich hoffete aufs Licht is no exception. Schneider and his group make music with real style; yet never overstate their case. A rarely-heard work from Telemann's canon, of which there is no other recording available, this may not be ground-breaking Baroque at its unique best. Even so, it has a lot going for it.

-- Mark Sealey, MusicWeb International

TELEMANN: Double Concertos / (Overture) Suite in A minor

TELEMANN Lukas Passion • Hermann Max, cond; Veronika Winter (sop); Anne Bierwirth (alt); Julian Podger (ten); Clemens Heidrich, Matthias Vieweg (bs); Rhenish Kantorei; Das Kleine Konzert • CPO 777 601-2 (2 CDs: 91:32 Text and Translation) Live: Magdeburg 3/13/2010


The incredibly prolific Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) is known to have composed no fewer than 46 oratorio passions, of which 22 are still extant. Among those, the St. Luke Passion presented here dates from 1748 and is the 27th in order of date of composition, matching the 27 years that the composer had served to that point as music director of the city’s five principal Lutheran churches. Since most of the lost (or at least undiscovered) passions are from the earlier years, this is by default one of the earliest known examples of his art in this genre, despite being more than halfway through the total and composed at age 67. Although by that time Telemann had long incorporated various foreign influences, particularly the French galant , into his “mixed” compositional style, here at least he adheres somewhat more to a traditional Germanic musical vocabulary, even if the melodic and rhythmic contours (particularly the use of skipping dotted eighth figures) are more closely akin to Handel than to Bach. The overall musical structure, however, is closer to that of a Bach passion, though there are significant differences. For Telemann the chorus plays a considerably smaller role, with the chorales being fewer and more modest in scope. Instead, the soloists assume a greater share of the commentary beyond their arias in sections titled accompagnato ; these are extended dramatic declamatory passages with intermittent instrumental accompaniment, penned in irregularly rhymed and metered verse, more melodic than straightforward recitative passages but lacking the formal symmetry and development of regular arias.


The addition of any Telemann oratorio to the relatively few so far recorded is an occasion for rejoicing, and all the more so when it involves the redoubtable Hermann Max and his veteran vocal and choral ensembles, the Rhenish Kantorei and Kleine Konzert. Recorded here in concert at the annual Magdeburg Telemann Festival, he and they deliver performances according to their customary superlative degree of excellence, leaving nothing to be desired on their part. I am somewhat less enthusiastic about the soloists, who are solid but not distinguished. Both Clemens Heidrich as Jesus and Matthias Vieweg as soloist for the bass arias have rather light and somewhat dry baritonal voices; the tenor of Julian Podger is a bit grainy; alto Anne Bierwirth simply does not have a distinctive profile; and even the usually first-rate Veronika Winter is not quite at her best. None are bad or even unsatisfactory, but they are definitely a step down from the stellar solo quartet Max assembled almost 20 years prior for the set of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach cantatas reviewed by me elsewhere in this issue. The recorded acoustic has a rich and slightly reverberant ambience, and not a whisper of noise from the audience is to be heard. Booklet notes are provided in German, English, and French, and the libretto in German and English; unfortunately the librettist is not identified, let alone discussed. One also wishes that either the short timing for a full-priced two-CD set had been fleshed out with another of Telemann’s sacred choral works, or else that the cost had been discounted. Despite this complaint, and the minor caveats about the soloists, this release is unhesitatingly recommended to all fellow lovers of Baroque sacred music.


FANFARE: James A. Altena

TELEMANN Concertos grosso: in e, TWV 53:e 1; in b, TWV 53:h 1; Concertos: in a, TWV 52:a 1; in F, TWV 51:F 1; in B?, TWV 52:B 1; in e, TWV 52:e 1 • Jaap ter Linden, cond; Matthias Maute (rcr); Sophie Larivière (rcr); Claire Guimond (Baroque fl); Mika Putterman (Baroque fl); Arion (period instruments) • early-music.com 7763 (73:27)


The biggest problem with the present CD is that, although I received it only a short while ago, it is actually a 2004 release that was re-released in 2008. Does that really constitute a problem? To you, dear reader, not at all. But to me, it does, because it means that I may not be able to choose it for my next Want List. And it certainly deserves that distinction. This CD is extraordinary in many ways, starting with the absolutely perfect choice of works. Granted, Telemann concertos are more or less foolproof, and it takes a pretty bad musician to ruin any piece by this composer. But even so, among all the delicious Telemann concertos available, these are some of the most scrumptious. Furthermore, they are served to the listener on a silver plate, with the best of sauces, and cooked by the best chefs.


The long, spectacular, cadenza by Matthias Maute in the Concerto for recorder (TWV 51:F 1) would be enough to raise the disc to Want List status, but it is only a bonus to a firework performance. If you thought that the recorder is a shrill, piercing whistle that could never be considered a real instrument (and I will say this quietly: you are not alone!) you will have to reconsider. Even in the highest notes, up there in the third register, Maute manages to sing and make music, to have a ball with the phrases while displaying the utmost degree of virtuosity.


The enthralling flute and recorder Concerto (TWV 52:e 1) is a perennial favorite: since the flute/recorder combination was extremely rare in the Baroque, this Concerto is one of the few instances where both instruments can interact, and has become a proving ground for all early-music ensembles that feature both wind instruments—that is, most of the existing groups in activity today. Even so, the present version will find few rivals in the recording market. Both Maute and Claire Guimond play with assurance and joy, and respond to each other with simultaneous precision and liberty, a rare combination. Intonation—usually a big concern in this work, especially in the slow movement in the difficult key of E Major—seems to present no challenge to this fine group of musicians.


I just spent a paragraph to speak of one concerto, and used more adjectives than I usually do in a whole review. Frankly, this would be the case of every concerto included in the disc, if I were to comment on each one separately. Both Sophie Larivière and Mika Putterman manage to match their formidable colleagues in talent and tone quality, and so the whole disc flows easily, and seems to end too soon. I will be quite direct: simply put, this is one of the best flute CDs that I have heard in quite a while, and it belongs in every library and collection.


FANFARE: Laura Rónai

Classical Music

TELEMANN Trietti metodichi: 42:d1; TWV 42: G2; 42:D2. Scherzi: 42:D3; 42:A1; 42:E1. Quartet in a for 2 Violins and 2 Bassoons, TWV 43:a1. Quartet in d for Flute, Violin, Bassoon, and Continuo, TWV 43:d3 • Parnassi musici (period instruments) • cpo 777 301 (63:21)


The title of Telemann’s 1731 publication of six trio sonatas, III Trietti metodichi e III Scherzi , is unusual. No one had ever published trietti (“little trios”), nor was the term “scherzo” used for a composition in several movements. The “method” in the Trietti metodichi consists of illustration in the art of instrumentation. The slow movements of the three Trietti were published with plain and ornamented parts to illustrate ornamentation method. These six melodic works for two violins and continuo were written for amateurs looking for works that were neither too long nor too difficult. All are in three movements, fast-slow-fast, and full of attractive melodies.


The Quartet in a is the fifth of a set of six “Quartets or Trios for two flutes or two violins, and two cellos or two bassoons” published in 1733. It consists of four movements, an Andante followed by three fast Divertimenti. The Quartet in d has been attributed to Handel as well as Telemann. The theme of the first movement appears to be a variation on Handel’s Oboe Concerto No. 3 in g, HWV 287. For the rest, the music does not sound much like Handel’s chamber music, so it would appear that the association with Telemann is correct. It is in four movements, slow-fast-slow-fast, which, while appealing, are not as attractive as its discmates.


The notes to this recording tell us that “it was sheer joy in the vibrancy and virtuosity of baroque music that brought together the musicians of Parnassi musici,” and these qualities inform their work here. Their playing has been praised often in the pages of Fanfare . The continuo is varied by alternate use of archlute or guitar and organ or harpsichord in addition to bassoon and cello. I doubt that I have ever heard a more-appealing recording of Baroque chamber music.


FANFARE: Ron Salemi

Classical Music

Classical Music