Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681 - 1767)
Six Cantatas (1731)
Cantata I: Dich wird stets mein Herz erlesen (TWV 20,17)** [12:18]
Cantata II: Mein Vergnügen wird sich fügen (TWV 20,18)* [10:19]
Cantata III: Mein Schicksal zeigt mir nur von Ferne (TWV 20,19)* [09:17]
Cantata IV: Dein Auge tränt (TWV 20,20)** [10:49]
Cantata V: Lieben will ich (TWV 20,21)* [14:31]
Cantata VI: In einem Tal, umringt mit hohen Eichen (TWV 20,22)** [20:08]
Maria Jonas (soprano) (*), Klaus Mertens (bass) (**)
Les Amis de Philippe/Ludger Rémy
rec. 6 - 8 February 2007, Studio of Radio Bremen, Germany. DDD
CPO 777 297-2 [77:57]
The early decades of the 18th century saw the emergence of the Enlightenment.
Its ideas were expressed in various magazines which were aimed at the bourgeoisie.
The first were published in England. Translations of these magazines appeared
in Germany, in particular in Hamburg which developed into a centre of the German
Enlightenment. But soon magazines began to appear which were written by Germans,
and one of the people involved in their publication was the composer and music
theorist Johann Mattheson.
The first of these was published in the 1720s, and it seems that at that time
Telemann began composing pieces which were the musical counterpart, as it were,
of those magazines. They reflect the ideas of the Enlightenment, which Ralph-Jürgen
Reipsch, in his liner-notes, sums up like this: "The virtuous man was
distinguished (...) by composure, equanimity, and imperturbability; he was
upright and moderate; avoiding extremes, he was always to keep away from unwholesome
passions and to the path of the 'golden mean'." It is easy to understand
that the movements of Empfindsamkeit and Sturm und Drang later
in the 18th century are often considered a reaction to this ideal of temperance.
In the 1730s Telemann published three collections with 'moral cantatas'. Although
only the second and third volumes from 1735 and 1736 respectively were explicitly
called 'moral cantatas', the first six, which appeared in 1731, also belong
to this category. They were referred to as 'galant' cantatas, and that is mainly
because of the subject of love which all such cantatas were about. But their
tenor is clearly of a moral nature. In the beginning of the cantata a situation
is depicted, usually connected to the protagonist of the cantata. Next it is
described how that situation is solved, usually through reason, and the concluding
aria expresses the moral lesson.
The texts are written by several then well-known poets some of whom were also
the authors of other works by Telemann, like Kapitänsmusiken, operas
and intermezzi. Parts of these cantatas are also taken from previous works.
All cantatas are for one singer, even though there is sometimes more than one
protagonist. This was also common practice elsewhere as in the French chamber
cantatas of the early 18th century. The cantatas are not only modern in regard
to their texts, but also in the fact that their first and last arias express
opposing Affekts.
The instrumental scoring is for strings and basso continuo, with several obbligato
parts for transverse flute, recorder, oboe and violin. As so often in his oeuvre
Telemann suggests various alternatives for the instrumental scoring. And although
in this recording the solos are performed by soprano and bass respectively,
Telemann only indicates high or low voice. This was a way to increase sales,
as everyone could just use the instruments and voices available. Apparently
these cantatas were indeed widely sold. The liner-notes give several quotations
of contemporaries who expressed their admiration for these cantatas.
It is interesting to have a look at the last cantata as it gives a very clear
impression of the spirit of the Enlightenment. The cantata opens with a recitative
in which we meet Tirsis, sitting on a rock in the midst of a valley, his left
arm, resting on his knee, supporting his head. He sighs and then, in his first
aria, sings: "I hesitate between yes and no, which should I choose?" The
dilemma is, of course, two lovers. The recitative explains: he loves Silvia
whom he believes he can be happy with, but she doesn't love him. Phillis, on
the other hand, loves him; with her he could gain esteem. The problem is: he
doesn't love her. "I constantly quarrel with love and honour, full of
doubt about the one to whom I should turn."
Then he hears a nightingale, and in his second aria he urges him to sing: "Feathered
siren, ripple, warble your tones to promote my rest". In his next recitative
Tirsis sees the nightingale flee to another place and he draws this lesson
from it: "This creature that can turn its flight wherever it wishes shall
teach me by it: that nothing is so precious as freedom. Therefore: honour and
love, away! I'll now be my own man again." In the closing aria we find
the moral of the story: "Living in freedom is the highest good. If passion
plays the master, our cheerful spirits are oppressed. Yes, yes, I'm blessed!
For a free spirit crowns me."
This is an example of how these cantatas are structured. We find here the ideal
- the 'golden mean': the avoidance of strong passions, and composure: freedom
(of strong passions) is the greatest good. Also interesting is the role of
the nightingale. In many cantatas and operas birds are used as symbols for
the state of mind of a protagonist. But here the bird is a model from which
man can learn. And this refers to one of the ideals of the Enlightenment: man
should learn from nature in order to avoid errors in society.
Needless to say, Telemann effectively uses musical means to emphasize the content.
In the first aria the hesitation of Tirsis between yes and no is expressed
by the music circling around a centre. The nightingale inevitably is depicted
by a recorder. And in the recitative which precedes the closing aria the last
lines are set in form of an extended arioso: "Therefore: honour and love,
away! I'll now be my own man again." One aspect of these cantatas should
be pointed out: there is often a close connection between recitative and aria.
A number of recitatives end with a colon, and recitatives are used to explain
the situation which was displayed in the preceding aria. This creates a great
sense of unity sometimes lacking in baroque cantatas.
Ludger Rémy has again managed to dig up unknown pieces from Telemann's
huge oeuvre. Apart from giving a very good impression of the influence of the
Enlightenment on music, they show Telemann's versatility and his sense of theatre.
He was a prominent composer of operas, after all. In this interpretation the
dramatic character of the cantatas is emphasized, in particular in the way
the recitatives are performed. There is a danger of exaggerating the drama
in these cantatas, and I feel Maria Jonas does not always avoid that. In comparison
Klaus Mertens is a little more moderate. But all in all both singers do an
excellent job here, and fully reveal the character of these fine works. The
players of Les Amis de Philippe give equally spirited and engaging performances
of the instrumental parts. The obbligatos are also very well executed.
In short, this is an interesting and musically rewarding disc which should
appeal to all lovers of baroque music.
Johan van Veen