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CD reviews
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767): "The Colourful Telemann"
Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra
Dir: Barthold Kuijken
rec: Feb 11 - 13, 2019, Indianapolis, IN, University of Indianapolis (Christel DeHaan Arts Center, Ruth Lilly Performance Hall)
Naxos - 8.573900 (© 2020) (64'44")
Liner-notes: E
Cover, track-list & booklet
Scores
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Concerto for two transverse flutes, bass, strings and bc in G (TWV 53,G1);
Concerto for two transverse flutes, violin, cello, strings and bc in D (TWV 54,D1);
Overture in c minor (TWV 55,c4);
Sinfonia Melodica for two oboes, strings and bc in C (TWV 50,2);
Sonata for two oboes, two violins, two violas and bc in e minor (TWV 50,4)
Barthold Kuijken, Leela Breithaupt, transverse flute;
Sung Lee, MaryAnn Shore, oboe;
Stephanie Corwin, bassoon;
Allison Nyquist, Janelle Davis, Alice Culin-Ellison, Martie Perry, Sarah Cranor, Augusta McKkay Lodge, violin;
Rachel Gries, Reynaldo Patiño, viola;
Stephanie Vial, Erica Rubis, cello;
Philip Spray, violone;
Thomas Gerber, harpsichord
Being a great fan of Georg Philipp Telemann's music, I am happy that so many discs with pieces from his large oeuvre are released these days. In the last two decades or so, quite a number of his works have been recorded. However, there is still much to discover, and even if music is performed which is already available on disc, it may be little known, which makes an additional recording most welcome. That is the case with the disc under review here.
Barthold Kuijken, in his liner-notes, reveals that he "would have loved to have met Telemann. His autobiographies, his letters, and reports from his friends and colleagues portray him as an interesting, lively, cheerful, and many-faceted person. His music reflects these same qualities." He then sums up what makes Telemann's music so attractive. "Superbly gifted, he developed his skills early on as an autodidact. He surely was not the greatest virtuoso on any of the many instruments he learned to play, but he totally understood their character and technical possibilities, and obviously enjoyed respecting each instrument's idiom. In his own time, just as today, this made his players - both amateurs and professionals - happy, and lies at the basis of his great popularity."
The title of his disc is well chosen. Telemann was a master, not only in exploring the different features of a single instrument, but also combining instruments of different families and different characteristics in one piece, be it a trio sonata or quartet, or a concerto with two or more solo parts. The two concertos on the present disc are perfect illustrations. That goes in particular for the Concerto in D, which has solo parts for two transverse flutes, a violin and a cello. Not only is the combination of these instruments rather unusual, as is the very form of a concerto for four solo instruments, the concerto's structure is also unconventional. In general, Telemann preferred the four-movement form of the sonata da chiesa to the Vivaldian three-movement concerto, but here he opens with a fast movement rather than a slow one. The second movement is then a slow siciliana, and this is one of the longest slow movements in Telemann's oeuvre. The four solo instruments all play a solo episode, first the cello, then the violin and lastly the two flutes one after the other. They are connected by ritornello episodes, which include chromaticism and modulations.
According to the track-list, the Concerto in G is for two transverse flutes, strings and basso continuo. However, as the catalogue number indicates, it is a triple concerto. It is one of a cycle of six concertos for two flutes and a bass instrument - bassoon or calchedon (a type of bass lute) - which Telemann composed in his later Frankfurt years. The instruments are for the most part indicated by their French names. These concertos are specimens of the 'mixed taste', of which Telemann was such a strong advocate. The last movement is, as so often, a folk dance; this presto strongly reminds me of the closing movement of one of Telemann's most popular pieces, the Concerto in e minor for recorder and transverse flute.
The other three pieces are remarkable as well. The programme opens with the Overture in c minor for two oboes, violin, strings and basso continuo. Telemann composed many overtures, inspired by the orchestral suites from operas by Lully, but this piece is different from the many overtures or orchestral suites he has written. The ouverture is a separate piece and is not followed by a sequence of dances, as is the case in all other overtures. It could be written in the later Frankfurt years, probably as an introduction to a vocal work, like the sinfonias at the start of Italian operas, or a major event.
The Sonata in e minor has been preserved in a copy in the library of the court of Hesse-Darmstadt, where Telemann's colleague and friend Christoph Graupner was Kapellmeister for many years. Originally the piece was called concerto, but that title was later 'corrected' into sonata. It is scored for two oboes, two violins, two violas and basso continuo. The five-part texture suggests it is a rather early piece; the important role of counterpoint, especially in the first two movements - gravement and allabreve respectively - also points in this direction. The oboes mostly play colla parte with the violins, but in the middle movement (air), the two oboes play with the basso continuo, in alternation with the two violins.
The Sinfonia melodica in C is from the same department in the work catalogue. This part of Telemann's oeuvre consists of sinfonias, divertimentos and marches. The scorings are different, and so are the number and titles of their respective movements. This particular piece is scored for two oboes, strings and basso continuo. It comprises seven movements, most of which are dances with a French title (the exception is the opening vivace assai), and has the character of a suite. The vivace assai seems to point in the direction of the style associated with the Mannheim school. This can be explained from the late date of composition, the mid-1760s. The dances are much more 'baroque' in style, especially the sarabande. The middle movement is a menuet in the form of a rondeau.
This disc is called 'The Colourful Telemann', and colourful is his music indeed. The programme recorded by the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra under the direction of Barthold Kuijken is a eloquent demonstration of this quality. The variety in texture and instrumentation bears witness to Telemann's independence and creative genius. These qualities never left him, as his last compositions, among them the Sinfonia melodica, impressively demonstrate. Kuijken and the orchestra have shown their qualities in several recordings for Naxos, all reviewed on this site. I have welcomed them, and I do the same here, albeit with slight reservations. I feel that the vividness and sparkle of so many of Telemann's music does not come off to the full here. The performances are a bit too restrained to my taste, and Telemann's palette of colours is only partially revealed here.
That said, I am sure that every lover of Telemann's music will enjoy this disc, and at budget price, there is no excuse for not adding this recording to your collection.
Johan van Veen (© 2020)
Relevant links:
Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra