For this release, Simone Eckert takes a stripped-down approach to Telemann. Granted, Telemann’s sacred music sounds glorious with a large chorus and supporting orchestra. But the reality was different. Most German courts had modest resources, with only a few singers and a handful of instruments. The cantatas recorded here could all be considered chamber works […]
Georg Philipp Telemann
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Capella Savaria Deliver with Telemann Concertos
Georg Philipp Telemann could write just about anything. And he did — in great quantity. And he also wrote with great quality. This release samples some of his concertos for two or more instruments. The early music ensemble Capella Savaria, in their own way, matches Telemann’s prolificacy. The ensemble has been around since 1981, and […]
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Cavatina Duo refreshes the repertoire
It’s a real challenge to take something very familiar and make it sound new. And not just novelty new, but new that retains the substance of the original. I think the Cavatina Duo successfully met that challenge, not once but twice with this new recording. They present an arrangement of Marin Marais’ “Follies d’Espagne.” The […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalQuartet Week 4
April is the fourth month of the year. And so the Classics a Day team decided to make classical quartets this month’s theme. One could easily fill up a month of postings with nothing but great string quartets. But I decided to explore further. A piano trio is made up of four musicians. So is […]
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Andrea Coen performs Telemann’s Klein Kammermusik — solo
The Kleine Kammermusik of Georg Philipp Telemann was never set in stone. Well, perhaps etched in metal for publishing, but you know what I mean. As Telemann conceived them, these six partitas were simple for a melodic instrument with basso continuo. In 1716, such collections were common for amateur and professional musicians. Telemann’s melodies could be performed […]
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Early Telemann cantatas still show great skill
This release features three Georg Philipp Telemann works for countertenor. More precisely, it presents three early works by Telemman (for countertenor). Not that I could hear much difference. Telemann in his twenties was already a skilled composer. There are no awkward moments in any of these works. And while his style grew in complexity, these pieces benefit […]
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Telemann Inauguration Cantatas interesting sidelights
This release features three cantatas, Georg Philipp Telemann. All were written to mark special occasions. Two were in Hamburg, where Telemann served from 1721 to 1767. One was for the neighboring town of Altona, which didn’t have a resident composer. Altona’s 1744 cantata Geschlagene Pauken, auf was inauguration music for a new school. The music is somewhat […]
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Telemann Moral Cantatas uplift — at least musically
This release combines selections from two self-published works by Georg Philipp Telemann. VI moralische Cantaten and 12 Fantaisies pour la basse de violle sold by subscription in 1735. Alternating between the two collections makes an appealing program. The Six Moral Cantatas are just that — music with a message. And whether the subject is luck, parsimony, time, or hope, the message […]
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Telemann Wind Quintets, Vol. 1 – Pleasantly tuneful
Let’s be clear: the wind ensemble of Telemann’s time was vastly different than the ones we have today. Clarinets, metal flutes, valved brass instruments, and percussion were later additions to the ensemble. The lineup of L’Orfeo Bläserensemble is one Telemann was familiar with: two oboe d’amore, two F horns, and bassoon. Lute and cembalo provide […]