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Georg Philipp TELEMANN & Johann Joachim QUANTZ: Trio sonatas & Quartets
[I] Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767): "The trio sonatas for recorder and viola da gamba"
Erik Bosgraaf, recordera, chalumeaub;
Carl Rosman, chalumeauc;
Lucile Boulanger, treble viold, bass viole;
Robert Smith, treble violf, bass violg;
Alessandro Pianu, harpsichord, organ
rec: July 14 - 16, 2020, Burgum (NL), Kruiskerk
Brilliant Classics - 96393 (© 2021) (56'55")
Liner-notes: E/D
Cover & track-list
Scores
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Quintet (Overture) for two chalumeaus, two violas [bass viols] and bc in F (TWV 44,6 [55,F2])bceg;
Sonata for recorder, bass viol and bc in F (BWV 42,F3)aeg;
Sonata for recorder, treble viol and bc in C (TWV 42,C2)adg;
Sonata for recorder, treble viol and bc in d minor (TWV 42,d7)adg;
Sonata for recorder, treble viol and bc in F (TWV 42,F6)aef;
Sonata for recorder, treble viol and bc in g minor (TWV 42,g9)aef;
Sonata à 4 for transverse flute [voice flute], two bass viols and bc in G (TWV 43,G10)aeg
[II] Johann Joachim QUANTZ (1697 - 1773): "Trio Sonatas"
Ensemble Labirinto Armonico
rec: July 14 - 16, 2021, San Valentino A.C. (Pescara), Chiesa Santi Valentino e Damiano
Dynamic - CDS7957 (© 2022) (61'10")
Liner-notes: E/IT
Cover, track-list & booklet
Scores
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Sonata in C (QV 2, Anh 3);
Sonata in c minor (QV 2, Anh 5);
Sonata in G (QV 2, Anh 26);
Sonata in G (QV 2, Anh 28);
Sonata in G (QV 2, Anh 29);
Sonata in g minor (QV 2, Anh 34)
Roberto Torto, recorder;
Pierluigi Mencattini, violin;
Galileo Di Ilio, cello;
Sergio Basilico, archlute;
Walter D'Arcangelo, harpsichord
Georg Philipp Telemann was undoubtedly the most creative composer of his time. In his oeuvre we find more unusual combinations of instruments than in that of any of his contemporaries. The first of the two discs under review here attests to that. The combination of a wind instrument - transverse flute or recorder - and viola da gamba is not very common, but his writing for a treble viol (dessus de viole) is quite unique (the only other German composer who wrote for this instrument seems to have been Johann Melchior Molter). It bears witness to his love of the French style. In France, this instrument was still common in the first decades of the 18th century, but was soon replaced by the pardessus de viole, which was able to play music that was originally written for the violin. Telemann treats it differently, in accordance with the nature of the instrument, as he always did. Thiemo Wind, in his liner-notes, refers to Jean Rousseau, who in his Traité de la viole (1687) stated that the dessus does not want to be treated like a violin, "the character of which is to animate, while the dessus de viole flatters".
In his parts for the treble viol expression is more important than technical virtuosity. The latter was something Telemann did not like very much anyway - one of the reasons he was sceptical of the Italian style and preferred the French. The pieces on this disc prove that the combination of recorder and treble viol is a pretty ideal one, as the dynamic possibilities of both are limited. The two instruments are treated on equal footing, but differently from one piece to the other. The Sonata in g minor (TWV 42,g9) is one of the most impressive examples, and Wind rightly comments on it in detail. Very different is the Sonata in C (TWV 42,C2), in which the two instruments play in canon in all four movements. Obviously, Polish folk music is never far away, as the Sonata in d minor (TWV 42,d7) proves.
Telemann was not only acknowledged as a master of the trio sonata, his quartets were also considered models of the genre. It was the quartet with which a composer could prove his command of counterpoint. The Sonata à 4 in G is a perfect example. It is originally scored for transverse flute and two bass viols with basso continuo. Here the flute part is played on the voice flute, a tenor recorder in D, which allows the performance of the original part without transposition. Here the three instruments are treated equally, but they mostly play in different combinations of two versus one. The andante is notable for its striking harmonic progressions.
The disc ends with another example of Telemann's creativity in his use of instruments. Only a few composers wrote music for the chalumeau, which was a relatively new development. Christoph Graupner used it frequently, whereas Johann Sebastian Bach never wrote anything for it. The Quintet (or Ouverture) in F is scored for two chalumeaus (alto and tenor), two violas and basso continuo. The inclusion of two violas is also unusual, as the viola usually was not more than filling in the harmony. In this recording the two viola parts are played on bass viols. That is fully justified, as in German music history the viola and the bass viol were often treated as alternatives. It is a fitting close to this delightful disc, where we hear Telemann at his very best.
One just can hear how much the performers were enjoying themselves while playing these pieces. They are musically challenging, probably not so much technically, but with regard to bringing out the specific qualities of each item. These are top-class artists, and it is hard to imagine better performances than we get here. The ensemble is immaculate, and the individual contributions are excellent. Telemann lovers undoubtedly have almost all the pieces on this disc in other performances (the quintet may be the exception). That should not withhold them from adding this disc. It will be a jewel in their Telemann collection.
From Telemann to Quantz is not as big a step as it may seem. Johann Joachim Quantz is almost entirely associated with Frederick the Great, as he acted as the King's flute teacher and composed a large amount of solo concertos and sonatas for and with transverse flute for him. However, it was only in 1741 that he entered Frederick's service. Before that he had been in Dresden, where he had been the pupil of Gabriel Buffardin, the star flautist of the court orchestra, and had visited Italy, France and England. At the time he entered Frederick's service, he had gathered a wealth of knowledge and impressions of what was going on across Europe.
Whereas his flute sonatas and concertos are regularly played and recorded, his trio sonatas are less known. The pieces that have been recorded by the Ensemble Labirinto Armonico are relatively early works. Two of them are included in a collection of trio sonatas by various composers, published in 1728 in Paris. The remaining four have been preserved in manuscript in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden. This may suggest that they have been written during his time at the Dresden court. A feature of all six trio sonatas is the importance of counterpoint. Danilo Prefumo, in his liner-notes, states that "Quantz (...) keeps well away from the sweetness of the incipient
gallant style and from the banal writing by thirds and sixths that the rejection of counterpoint would bring in the following years."
The recorder is not mentioned as the required instrument in any of the trio sonatas performed here. That in itself does not exclude its use. Composers were pretty pragmatic in how they wanted performers to play their music. They could simply take whatever instrument was at hand. Composers often avoided features which would exclude the most common instruments among amateurs. The latter are the kind of performers for which trio sonatas were intended. Moreover, Quantz was originally educated as an oboist, and at that time many oboists also played the recorder. From that angle there is little objection against the use of a recorder in these trio sonatas. That said, the fact that Roberto Torto moves from the alto recorder to the soprano recorder for the last movement from the Sonata in G (QV 2, Anh 26) suggests that in this case the recorder is probably not the most obvious choice.
All the sonatas follow the model of Corelli, which is another indication of their relatively early date of composition. In the mid-18th century the sonata with three movements, in the order slow - fast - fast, became the standard in Berlin.
It is nice that the Ensemble Libirinto Armonico pays attention to Quantz's trio sonatas, as they are not that well-known. Danilo Prefumo emphasizes the importance of Quantz's music and its quality, against the sceptics and the negative assessment that goes partly back to the judgement of Charles Burney. However, I am not sure that the performances really live up to the expectations. The playing is alright, but that is not enough. I have heard better performances of his trio sonatas. One of the best recordings that I have heard is the one by the Ensemble Baroque Le Rondeau (Syrius, 1997), albeit with very different pieces. The sound of the recorder and the violin here is not very distinguished, and often a little dull. Dynamically the performances are a bit flat; stronger dynamic differences had not been amiss.
All in all, this disc is a bit of a missed opportunity.
Johan van Veen (© 2022)
Relevant links:
Erik Bosgraaf
Lucile Boulanger
Carl Rosman
Robert Smith
Ensemble Labirinto Armonico