The concertos for one or more solo instruments and strings are a
lesser-observed part of Telemann's oeuvre. He himself didn't rate
them highly, and preferred the form of the orchestral overture. However,
that didn't prevent him from composing a large quantity of such concertos.
They are a mixture of Italian and French elements, and in most cases
he prefers the four-movement form of the Corellian
sonata da chiesa
rather than the Vivaldian three-movement solo concerto. Also notable
is the use of unusual combinations of instrument, and the contrasting
way in which he explores the features of the various instruments.
This review concerns the last three volumes in CPO's project of the
recording of Telemann's complete output of concertos with solo parts
for wind instruments.
Vol. 6 begins with the
Concerto in b minor (TWV 51,h1)
for transverse flute, one of the most extended solo concertos from
Telemann's oeuvre. It is in three movements; the opening presto is
in ABA form; the largo is a wonderfully expressive piece. Very different
is the
Concerto in D (TWV 53,D3) for an instrument which Telemann
called
flauto pastorale; it is not known exactly which instrument
he meant. It is performed here on the piccolo, because the concerto
includes imitations of the nightingale, and in his opera
Orpheus
Telemann prescribes piccolos in an aria which refers to birds. The
whole concerto, which has the nickname of
Concerto polonoise,
reflects Telemann's interest in traditional Polish and Moravian music
which comes to the fore in all four movements.
His admiration for the French style is well documented. Two concertos
bear witness to that. The
Concerto in C (TWV 53,C3) is nicknamed
Concerto alla francese, and has four movements with French
titles. They refer to the character or the tempo -
très
vite,
tendrement - but most of them are in fact dances.
The opening movement -
avec douceur - is in the form of a
rondeau.
The scoring is for two oboes and bassoon, the common scoring of orchestal
overtures in French style as frequently written by Telemann and some
of his colleagues, such as Fasch and Graupner. The
Concerto in
B flat (TWV 52,B1) has the same trademarks: here the two first
movements have an Italian title; the next two are in French. The second
movement has the form of a mirror: the second half is the reverse
of the first. The last movement is dominated by brilliant sixteenth
figures which appear not only in the recorder parts but also in the
strings.
This disc includes another triple concerto with bassoon; it is the
fourth from a cycle of concertos in the French style. They have the
same superscription in French,
Concert par moi Telemann. The
solo instruments - two transverse flutes and bassoon - are also referred
to with their French names. In this project these six concertos are
divided over the various volumes, starting with Vol. 3. Although some
of the movements have Italian titles, these hide French dances. The
last movement from the
Concerto in D (TWV 53,D1) is a menuet
in the form of a
rondeau.
The
Concerto in a minor (TWV 51,a1) has been preserved as a
violin concerto. In his liner-notes Wolfgang Hirsch argues that its
character suggests that the oboe is the more suitable instrument.
It is in three movements: the opening adagio is followed by an allegro
and a presto. This is quite remarkable, even though the second movement
ends with a short slow section. That is in the style of an accompanied
recitative, just like the opening adagio, one of the most beautiful
movements on this disc.
Telemann composed various concertos for two horns. This disc ends
with one of them, the
Concerto in F (TWV 52, F3). Telemann
would not be Telemann if he didn't come up with a surprise. It was
quite common that brass instruments were silent in slow movements
but here the composer includes them in the third movement, a siciliana.
The horns are surprisingly well-suited to contribute to this movement's
pastoral character. It is in the second movement that the horns show
their origins as hunting instruments.
In
Vol. 7 we meet the horn again. The disc ends with the
Concerto
in D (TWV 51,D8) for horn solo which is technically very demanding.
It is assumed that Telemann wrote it for a specific virtuoso. He has
to play in a very high register, in particular in the first of the
three movements. The frequent passagework makes the solo part even
more complicated. As in the double concerto in Volume 6, the horn
here is also involved in the slow movement.
This disc begins with one of Telemann's oboe concertos; the
Concerto
in c minor is probably an early composition in which Telemann
doesn't include ritornellos. The oboe starts the proceedings with
the strings, and hardly ever keeps silent. This piece comes close
to the
concerto da camera in which all instruments are treated
more or less equally.
The
Concerto in F for two chalumeaux and violins in unison
belongs to the same category. It is the first time the chalumeau has
turned up in this project. It was developed in the late 17th century
and further improved by Johann Christoph Denner, who is also considered
the inventor of the clarinet. The chalumeau was built in various sizes:
soprano, alto, tenor and bass. It is often seen as a predecessor of
the clarinet, but that is incorrect: for some time the two instruments
existed alongside each other. The chalumeau was especially popular
in southern Germany and Austria, but Telemann and even more so his
friend and colleague Christoph Graupner used it several times. Telemann
composed three concertos for two chalumeaux, in the alto and tenor
ranges respectively. In the
Concerto in F (TWV 43,F3) influences
of Polish folk music turn up, which Telemann ingeniously combines
with the
da capo form in the second movement. The third movement
has a trio texture. The
Concerto in d minor (TWV 52,d1) couldn't
be more different. Everyone who still thinks that Telemann composed
only light-hearted stuff should listen to this piece which is full
of pathos, thanks to frequent sighing figures and chromaticism. The
slow movements are highly expressive, and the dark, somewhat muffled
sound of the chalumeau is explored here to great effect. The fast
movements do little to clear the air.
This volume includes one of Telemann's longest concertos, the
Concerto
in F (TWV 52,F1) with the uncommon scoring for recorder and bassoon,
strings and bc. Such scorings are vintage Telemann: in his oeuvre
one frequently finds pieces with unconventional instrumental combinations.
Vol. 3 of this series, for instance, included a
concerto da camera
for recorder and horn. The
Concerto in F is one of Telemann's
better-known compositions and was included in a ground-breaking Telemann
recording by the Concentus musicus Wien under Nikolaus Harnoncourt
(Telefunken, 1966; later reissued on CD and still available). The
two instruments are very different in character, but Telemann treats
them on strictly equal terms and creates a remarkable interplay between
them. The third movement has the character of an opera aria. This
is one of the most 'Italianate' of concertos.
In contrast, the remaining
Concerto in A is a further piece
from the 'French cycle'; three of the four movements have Italian
titles, but are dances in disguise. The closing allegro includes a
musette; the movements of the solo instruments are juxtaposed by repeated
rapidly descending figures in the strings.
Vol. 8, the last in the series, begins with the remaining concerto
from the same cycle, the
Concerto in a minor (TWV 53, a1).
The opening lentement is a purely French piece, with dotted rhythms;
the latter return in the closing movement. This disc includes another
concerto for two horns which is quite different from the concerto
in volume 6. In the
Concerto in F (TWV 52, F4) the horns are
confined to their role as fanfare instruments in the two fast movements.
The opening adagio is very short, less than one minute, and here the
horns play
colla parte with the strings. The latter are on
their own in the expressive largo which contrasts sharply with the
fast movements.
This disc includes two more pieces which could be considered
concerti
da camera: they are for three instruments and basso continuo.
For some reason they have ended up in different departments in the
Telemann catalogue. The relationship between the instruments is different,
though. In the
Concerto in D (TWV43, D7) the trumpet has the
role of solo instrument, whereas the oboes mostly play ritornellos.
The trumpet part is quite virtuosic, and the soloist makes it even
more brilliant with his ornamentation in the closing vivace. In the
Concerto in D (TWV 51,D5) the oboe and the two violins are
treated on more equal terms, and the latter have a more independent
role than the oboes in the other concerto.
The
Concerto in C (TWV 52, C1) is Telemann's third concerto
with chalumeau. Like the
concerti da camera it is notable for
its scoring. From beginning to end the strings play with mutes and
are confined to the lower regions of their compass. This results in
a dark and mellow sound, which is further enhanced by the addition
of two bassoon parts which have the role of
ripieno instruments.
Often the chalumeaux - again one in alto, the other in the tenor range
- play
colla parte with the strings. Their parts in the largo
have a great subtlety which is perfectly realised by the two soloists.
The disc ends with another of Telemann's large solo concertos, the
Concerto in G (TWV 51, G3) for oboe d'amore. Wolfgang Hirschmann
states that it is one of the most important concertos for this instrument
from the first half of the 18th century. It shows various elements
which also appear in other concertos such as the combination of a
ritornello design with the da capo form, virtuosity in the solo part,
polyphony and folkloristic influences. The adagio is a wonderful piece
in which the oboe d'amore weaves a web over a continuous flow of chords
from the quietly forward-moving strings.
With this concerto this major recording project comes to an end. It
has to be considered one of the most important projects in recent
years. Telemann's concertos for one or various solo instruments were
a bit of an unknown quantity when it started, although some concertos
had been recorded before and some had gained quite some popularity.
However, this project allows us to listen to Telemann's complete output
in this department and compare and analyse the way he treats the various
instruments. One of his virtues was his personal command of almost
all instruments in vogue in his time. It allowed him to explore their
specific features and make them truly shine. It must be a sheer delight
to play them, just as it is a joy to listen to them.
La Stagione Frankfurt and Camerata Köln have done music-lovers
a great favour by recording these imaginative compositions. What is
more, they have done Telemann a great favour by playing them in such
a convincing and musically satisfying way. The solo parts are all
given oustanding performances, and the tutti parts are equally well
performed. This is a monument to one of the most creative musical
minds in music history, whose apparently boundless imagination led
to a large output of music which can't fail to compel, please and
surprise today's audiences. These are discs you will return to regularly.
Lastly a word about the booklets. They contain informative liner-notes
by the Telemann scholar Wolfgang Hirschmann which gives much insight
into Telemann's compositional procedures. Be careful if you purchase
Vol. 7: my copy had an incomplete booklet. The French translation
of the liner-notes was missing, which in my case was not the problem,
but also missing was the first part of the track-list, which was very
annoying. I searched the internet and found a site where I could download
a complete copy. The booklet of Vol. 8 includes an index of the concertos
which have been recorded with a reference to the volume in which they
can be found. In his liner-notes Hirschmann gives a survey of the
various compositions which are omitted from the series, for various
reasons, especially one of doubtful authenticity.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Track listing
Volume 6
Concerto for transverse flute, strings and bc in b minor (TWV 51,h1)
[13:42]
Concerto for two transverse flutes, bassoon, strings and bc in D (TWV
53,D1) [8:54]
Concerto for oboe, strings and bc in a minor (TWV 51,a1) [7:38]
Concerto for two oboes, bassoon, strings and bc in C 'Concerto alla
francese' (TWV 53,C1) [9:18]
Concerto for 'flauto pastorale', strings and bc in D (TWV 51,D3)*
[9:06]
Concerto for two recorders, strings and bc in B flat (TWV 52,B1) [7:36]
Concerto for two horns, strings and bc in F (TWV 52,F3) [7:16]
Volume 7
Concerto for oboe, strings and bc in c minor (TWV 51,c2) [7:09]
Concerto (Quartetto) for 2 chalumeaux, 2 violins in unison and bc
in F (TWV 43,F2) [11:20]
Concerto for two transverse flutes, bassoon, strings and bc in A (TWV
53,A1)** [8:35]
Concerto for recorder, bassoon, strings and bc in F (TWV 52,F1)* [18:07]
Concerto for two chalumeaux, strings and bc in d (TWV 52,d1) [12:42]
Concerto for corno da caccia, strings and bc in D (TWV 51,D8) [8:41]
Volume 8
Concerto for two transverse flutes, bassoon, strings and bc in a minor
(TWV 53,a1) [8:52]
Concerto (Quartetto) for trumpet, two oboes and bc in D (TWV 43,D7)*
[12:59]
Concerto for two chalumeaux, two bassoons ripieni, strings and bc
in C (TWV 52,C1) [13:37]
Concerto for oboe, two violins and bc in D (TWV 51,D5)* [9:05]
Concerto for two horns, strings and bc in F (TWV 52,F4) [7:50]
Concerto for oboe d'amore, strings and bc in G (TWV 51,G3) [16:44]
