Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767)
Telemann Polonoise
Polish-inspired music in arrangements by Judith and Tineke Steenbrink
Aisslinn Nosky (violin)
Holland Baroque
rec. Musis, Arnhem, The Netherlands, August 2020. DDD/DSD
Reviewed as downloaded from press access
PENTATONE PTC5186878 SACD
[67:50]
Several fine recordings exist of the music which Telemann composed with
Polish music as his inspiration, either as part of a wider programme or, as
here, bringing several such pieces together in one programme. What is
different about Holland Baroque’s concept is that works in this style for
various instruments or combinations have been arranged by Judith and Tineke
Steenbrink for strings and continuo. In the case of the two concertos,
TWV43:B3 and TWV43:G7, little arrangement would have been required, but
even the rest of the programme works well.
I’ll deal with my reservations first. Apart from the two concertos and the Partie or Suite, TWV39, originally for two lutes, which were
recorded live long ago by Julian Bream and John Williams on two guitars
(G0100033894309, mid-price download), the programme is rather bitty, but
the order of arrangement of the shorter pieces partly negates that
criticism.
The G major concerto, TWV43:G7 can also be found on a recording by Ensemble
Masques (Alpha 256 –
Spring 2017/2). That’s a valuable collection, not least in that it includes some of
Telemann’s less recorded music, including the only version of the Suite in
A, TWV55:A1. (Not to be confused with the oft-recorded Suite in a minor).
Ensemble Masques and Olivier Fortin give a lively and idiomatic
performance, bringing out the Polish influences, but without disguising the
inevitable French and Italian elements and Telemann’s North German fusion
of them. Holland Baroque also bring out all the elements of the music – the
booklet specifically comments on them – and, if anything, they are slightly
more alive to the sheer joy of the music: the allegro second
movement comes with some of the most accomplished and liveliest playing of
Telemann’s music that you are likely to hear.
The Concertos in G and B-flat can be found on a 1999 recording by Musica
Antiqua Köln and Reinhard Goebel on a collection of Telemann’s music from
DG Archiv (4630742, download, or Presto special CD). Goebel has always had
something of a reputation as a speed merchant, but these concertos fare
very well in his hands. What he does to a greater extent than either
Holland Baroque or Ensemble Masques is to emphasise the rhythm, partly
though greater use of double-dotting. The effect is at once to make the
music sound livelier – though his tempi are actually mostly very slightly
slower than Holland Baroque’s – but also to chop up the flow of the music.
You pays your money and you takes your pick; I enjoyed both. Another
collection of Goebel’s Telemann on a DG Classikon collection, no longer
available, is actually one of my favourite recordings of the composer.
(As reissued on DG Archiv Blue, 4742302, download or
Presto special CD, it's shorn of the final e minor concerto, reducing
the playing time to 51 minutes.)
Goebel is also slightly slower on his feet in the B-flat concerto, though
no less nimble, than Holland Baroque. Again, I could happily live with
either or, indeed, with the only other recording generally available, from
Arte dei Suonatori and Martin Gester (BIS-1979 SACD –
review
–
DL News 2013/3).
With two fine recordings of two concertos that are competitive with
such other recordings that there are of them, the Pentatone
is an attractive release. Add the appeal of the shorter pieces and a
recording well able to compete with the opposition, an informative set of
notes, and this is an attractive addition to the Telemann discography. Even
the 16-bit press preview sounds fine, but the commercial product is, like
the BIS recording, available on SACD and in 24-bit sound.
I wouldn’t, however, want to be without some representation of Reinhard
Goebel’s Telemann in my collection or, indeed, of the many recordings of
his music which Simon Standage and Collegium Musicum 90 made for Chandos.
One of these includes an even more attractive Polish-influenced concerto,
TWV53:E1 for flute, oboe d’amore, viola d’amore and strings (CHAN0580:
Telemann Triple Concertos). To have recorded that, Holland Baroque would
have had to recruit a flautist and an oboist, but their omission allows me
to recommend the Chandos recording; that, too, contains some fine music
well performed and recorded. Alternatively, the fact that the E major concerto is not
included allows me to recommend the Chandos or an equally fine recording
from La Stagione Frankfurt (CPO 7778592 –
review,
or 6-CD set 5554142).
Overall, I enjoyed hearing this new Pentatone; it’s a fine addition to the
available recordings of Telemann. Though there are now many of these that are well
worth your consideration, they still only scratch the surface of this
prolific composer’s music, so the more recordings of this quality the
better.
Brian Wilson
Contents
Polonié, TWV45:
Polonié
2 [3:28], Polonesie 3 [1:45], Polonesie 8 [1:11]
Allegro, TWV43:B2 [1:45]
Tourbillon, TWV55:D12 [1:52]
Polonoise, TWV55:a4 [3:17]
Polonié, TWV45:
Polonesie
4 [2:03], Polonesie 17 and 18 [2:35],
Polonoise, Musette, Batelière, TWV 55:D13 [1:33 + 2:33 + 0.59]
Concerto Polonois
in B-flat, TWV43:B3 [9:13]
Partie Polonois TWV39 [12:59]
Polonoise, TWV41:D4 [1:36]
Loure, TWV55:g4 [3:00]
Concerto Polonois
in G, TWV43:G7 [8:33]
Polonié, TWV 45 [3:09]
Hanaquoise, TWV 55:D3 [1:57]
Hanac, TWV 45 [1:01 + 1:34]
Hanasky, TWV 55:E1 [1:02]
Holland Baroque:
Aisslinn Nosky (violin)
Judith Steenbrink (violin)
Chloe Prendergast (violin)
Filip Rekieć (viola)
Tomasz Pokrzywinski (cello)
Christoph Sommer (lute)
Tineke Steenbrink (harpsichord)
Artistic leaders: Judith and Tineke Steenbrink
