Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681–1767)
Wind Overtures Volume 2
Overture (Quintet) for 2 oboes, 2 horns & bassoon, TWV44:3 in D [16:20]
Overture TWV55F:11 in F (Alster-Overture) for 4 horns, 2 oboes (doubled)
& bassoon (doubled) [34:07]
Overture (Quintet) for 2 oboes, 2 horns & bassoon / basso continuo,
TWV44:9 in F [8:00]
L’Orfeo Bläserensemble/Carin van Heerden
rec. Brüdergemeinde Gnadau, Germany, 6-9 November 2017. DDD.
Reviewed as downloaded from press preview
CPO 555212–2
[58:42]
Reviewing Volume 1 of this series, Johan van Veen wrote that he was eagerly
looking forward to its successor (555085-2 –
review). Having downloaded that, via press access, I can fully share his
enthusiasm, which is hardly surprising: Telemann ranks almost equal with
Bach and Handel in my estimation, and CPO have done more for his music,
especially the cantatas and concertos, than any other label that I can
think of. They are great exponents of the North German baroque in all its
manifestations; I’ve just submitted an appreciation of their recent
recording of Bassoon Cantatas of Graupner, who was himself responsible for one of
the largest collections of Telemann’s music (555353-2, review pending).
And, for a gentler view of his chamber concertos than that offered by
Reinhard Goebel (DG Archiv), don’t overlook Camerata Köln’s recordings of Telemann’s Concerti da camera Volume 1 (555131-2: Recording of the Month –
review).
Telemann is aptly described in the CPO booklet as ‘alleskönner’, or Jack of
all trades; in addition to his better-known works his compositions included
music for wind ensemble, or Harmoniemusik. It’s my loss that I
hadn’t known much of his output in that form; even the ‘Alster’ Overture,
included here, is usually performed differently scored. I’m pleased that
CPO have once again expanded my knowledge of Telemann, with the able
assistance of L’Orfeo Bläserensemble and Carin van Heerden.
L’Orfeo Baroque Orchestra brought us three of the instalments of CPO’s
recordings of Telemann’s Violin Concertos, with Elizabeth Wallfisch. Having
missed Volume 1 (9999900-2 –
review
–
review), I downloaded that, too, to match the other volumes which I already knew.
Now L’Orfeo wind players have given us two equally fine recordings of this
wind-band music.
The star of the show on the new recording is the ‘Alster’ Overture,
depicting places and beings, real and mythical, in and around Telemann’s
adopted city of Hamburg. It may not be quite as colourful as his Hamburger Ebb’ und Flut,
often known as his ‘Water Music’, but Die concertierenden Frösche und Krähen (Concertizing
frogs and crows) crown the centre of the work as humorously as the jolly
(drunken?) boatmen round off the ‘Water Music’. Biber may have been the
baroque master of animal impressions, but Telemann runs him pretty close
here, and L’Orfeo really get into the spirit of the music. What a shame
that Saint-Saëns didn’t include frogs and crows in his Carnaval des Animaux; even his donkey impressions are not as zany
as this. Though Saint-Saëns’ ‘Swan’ is justly one of the most recognisable
pieces of classical music, Telemann’s ‘Swan Song’, movement five of the
suite, has its own attractions, too.
The Alster shepherds, dancing their rather lumpen, slightly off-beat,
off-key, village dance in the sixth movement, are also given just the right
treatment by L’Orfeo, while the shepherds and nymphs, the former now rather
more in step and in tune, see the overture off in style with their hasty
departure (eilfertiger Abzug).
The only reason to prefer Simon Standage’s Chandos recording with Collegium
Musicum 90 might be the inclusion on that album of Telemann’s equally
attractive Grillen-symphonie (Crickets’ symphony) on CHAN0547, but
CPO have their own very fine take on that on Volume 5 of their Grand
Concertos for mixed instruments (555082-2, or complete on 6 CDs, 555414-2 –
review).
Moreover, CPO claim this as the premier recording of the wind-band
score
of the work. The notes refer to recent research that suggests that this
wind version was played on boats on the River Alster – a parallel
there with Handel’s Water Music – as a prelude to a lost serenata
in honour of the visiting Duke of Brunswick-Lüneberg. That explains the
presence in the overture of the figures of Pan, Peleus, shepherds and
nymphs, all recorded as taking part in the entertainment, whose parts are
reduced in the final version of the music. Effectively, then, what CPO
and Chandos have recorded are two very different versions of this work.
These seem to be the only versions of the opening Overture-Quintet in D and
its closing companion in F. They may not share the picture-painting
qualities of the ‘Alster’ Overture, but they are enjoyable works in their
own right. I have no comparison for either, but these vigorous and stylish
performances seem hardly likely to be superseded.
I’m pleased to note not only that there is a download version of this
recording, but that it comes with the booklet in pdf format. Some recent
CPO releases have been in physical form only, and those that are available
as downloads have not always included the booklet. In this case the notes,
by Manfred Fechner, are really worth having.
With very fine performances, notes and recording quality – as reviewed in
16-bit lossless format; there doesn’t seem to be a 24-bit version – this
second volume is preferable even to the first.
Brian Wilson
L’Orfeo Bläserensemble:
Oboe: Carin van Heerden, Philipp Wagner, Thomas Meraner (TWV55:F11), Anabel
Röser (TWV55:F11) Bassoon: Nikolaus Broda, Makiko Kurabayashi (TWV55:F11)
Horn: Stephan Katte, Sebastian Fischer, Elliot Seidman (TWV55:F11), Achim
Schmid-Egger (TWV55:F11)
Harpsichord: Anne Marie Dragosits
Lute: David Bergmüller
