Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
have assembled a fine and varied chamber
music programme of six Telemann concertos
featuring various woodwind instruments.
These exhibit the composer in some of
his finest and most varied colours and
textures. Expressive charm and melodic
appeal is in abundance which is sustained
from the first note to the last. Deutsche
Harmonia Mundi are to be congratulated
for reissuing this collection of previously
available material - recorded eight
years ago in 1996.
Telemann was by some
distance the most distinguished late-baroque
German composer and thankfully in recent
years many of his exceptionally large
corpus of works have become more widely
available. Telemann is legendary
for his prolific production of vast
volumes of music. I am informed that
the Telemann Werkverzeichnis (TWV),
which is Telemann’s complete catalogue
of works contains the amazingly high
number of 3,600 entries. These include
1,043 Church Cantatas alone. At my last
estimate Telemann had 465 chamber works
listed.
A genuine connoisseur
Telemann familiarised himself with all
the major instruments available at that
time. The accomplished manner of these
six compositions for woodwind, strings
and basso continuo bear testament to
the composer’s indubitable genius. He
was the first composer to write for
the oboe d’amore and the viola as solo
instruments in Concerto form; two superb
examples this art are contained here.
Three of the works feature the transverse
flute an instrument that Telemann helped
gain acceptance.
The Concerto in
B minor for transverse flute, strings
and basso continuo, especially in
the first movement Presto, is
a outstanding example of Telemann’s
winning collaboration between counterpoint
and creativity and fecundity. Particularly
impressive is the final movement of
the Concerto in B flat major, oboe,
violin, two transverse flutes, two violas
and basso continuo which
displays how Telemann would devise his
closing movements with sunny and optimistic
dispositions and dance-like buoyancy.
His slow movements are frequently captivating
and in both the E minor and B minor
Concertos the composers advocacy
for melody and passionate expression
is perfectly demonstrated.
Founded in 1979 Camerata
Köln is an ensemble devoted to
baroque and classical chamber music,
with a special focus on woodwind instruments.
The booklet notes inform us of the ensemble’s
intention to perform early chamber music
with players that have a virtuoso command
of historical instruments. This is combined
with appropriate attention to style
and an emphasis on spontaneity and artistic
independence.
Camerata Köln
offer high-class performances full of
joy and affection. The stylish playing
is overflowing with warmth and expression.
Excellently recorded the woodwind instruments
in particular display a delightfully
rich timbre and the strings have a attractive
tone. The players of Camerata Köln
clearly love these marvellous works
and are far too respectful to offer
bland and plodding basso continuo; which
unfortunately tends to be all too common.
Telemann’s art is well
served by this welcome and pleasing
reissue.
Michael Cookson
Camerata
Köln 