Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767)
Wertes Zion sei getrost [20:34]
Jesu wirst Du bald erscheinen [10:08]
Herr Gott, der du uns has von unsrer Jugend an [16:17]
Ein feste Burg is unser Gott [8:50]
Welch’ Getümmel erschüttert den Himmel [17:30]
Simone Schwark (soprano), Johann Krell (alto), Hans Jörg Mammel (tenor), Markus Flaig, Wolfgang Weiß (basses)
Kammerchor der Erlöserkirche Bad Homburg
Johann Rosenmüller Ensemble/Susanne Rohn
rec. 13-16 April 2016, Erlöserkirche Bad Homburg (Germany)
CHRISTOPHORUS CHR77405 [73:22]
Asked to name a German Lutheran composer of the eighteenth
century you would, of course, think first of Bach. It’s worth
remembering, however, that during their lifetimes Georg Philip Telemann was
more widely known, much more popular and even more prolific than JSB. 2017
sees both the 250th anniversary of Telemann’s death and the 500th anniversary
of Martin Luther’s (allegedly) nailing of his 95 theses to the door
of the Wittenberg church, so this disc combines both of those events into
a worthwhile celebration of Telemann’s cantatas for Reformation Day
and Michaelmas.
Wertes Zion features as its second movement a wonderfully festal
setting of Luther’s most famous hymn, Ein’ feste Burg,
and opens with a quietly majestic plea for steadfastness. The chorus
Seid böse, ihr Völker is a cracker, resplendent with martial trumpets
and drums, as the chorus sings of the need to be ready to do battle in the
name of Christ, and the concluding Hallelujah is cut from the same
cloth. Jesu wrst du bald erscheinen looks forward to Christ’s
return and, during its opening tenor aria, summons up trombones to evoke the
last trumpet. Herr Gott, der du uns hast von Unser Jugend an,
scored for strings alone, opens with a graceful Sinfonia and revolves around
a set of very effective tenor and alto arias.
Ein’ feste Burg itself is a cantata for solo bass, melded with
several agile string obbligati and sounding great against the organ
texture. Welch Getümmel opens with thrilling staccato trumpets and
thundering timps to depict the tumult in heaven, appropriate for the feast
day of St Michael. Subsequent arias depict the peace that reigns once
the tumult is over and Satan has been defeated.
It’s interesting to note how brief many of these cantata movements are,
however, and that’s one of the things that sets him apart from Bach.
While JSB could work miracles of inspiration on small passages of text
and work them through to wring every ounce of musical possibility out of them,
Telemann seems to move much more lightly – a hit-and-run, almost –
and that is perhaps the main reason why he has been charged with superficiality
over the centuries, and why his reputation is so much lower than Bach’s
today.
If you’re ever going to explore his work, though, then this is the time.
The performances here are perfectly fine, though the weak link is the
chorus, who are serviceable rather than brilliant. They sound rather put-upon
in places, as though they’re struggling a little with the material,
and they’re coping rather than relaxing into it. Are they amateurs,
I wonder? Unfortunately, the recording doesn’t help them either,
making them sound recessed and distant compared to the orchestra and soloists.
The soloists are better, particularly the ladies, Simone Schwark and Johanna
Krell making a lovely pair, both together and individually. The men are more
mixed. Hans Jörg Mammel has a clean tenor, even if he’s slightly breathless
in parts of the coloratura. Markus Flaig sounds good in Ein’ Fest
Burg, if not, perhaps, as confident as others might. Unfortunately,
though, Wolfgang Weiß sounds rather overcome by the fireworks and excitement
of Welch Getümmel.
No complaints about the orchestral textures, however, which are marvellous.
The trumpets crown the texture, gleaming brilliantly atop, while strings
and winds are pungent and characterful, solos ringing out beautifully.
No doubt other ways into Telemann’s music will appear this year, but
this makes a good well-rounded introduction to his church music, with the
double anniversary providing a good excuse both for making the disc and for
sampling it.
Simon Thompson
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