July 27, 2018

  • Exploring Early Music For Winds

     

    Telemann: Overtures, Volume 1
    L’Orfeo Wind Ensemble/Carin van Heerden
    CPO 555 085-2
    Total Time:  61:22
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) is a composer whose distinct Baroque musical voice lies as a nice contrast to the more familiar works of Bach.  His exploration of winds in concertos and concerto grossi are often quite enjoyable forays exploring the techniques of his players.  Furthermore, his command of instrumental color is often a delight for those unfamiliar with his music.  In some ways, he is among the more experimental composers of the period and this is evident in this collection of five “overtures” for winds—essentially variants on wind trios, quartets, and similar chamber music genres.  The pieces collected here are among the earliest of their type.  Telemann brings in the oboes and bassoon from their martial places and combines these with the horn, a hunting instrument.  Pieces for winds would be used at court as morning or evening music, or as part of parades.  It is also possible that they were the “background” music at meals (“table music”).

    Exactly what function these works had, or why Telemann wrote them, is still unclear.  They appear to have been composed between 1714-1716, while the composer was in Frankfurt.  Here he was situated with the horns available from the Darmstadt court as well as double reeds stationed at the garrison there in the city.  What one discovers throughout these pieces is Telemann’s skill at exploring the unique tonal palette of these instruments even while allowing some room to “adapt” as needed to the forces available.  For this recording, the ensemble features 2 oboes, 2 horns, a bassoon, lute, and harpsichord—a unique combination by any standard.

    The pieces here are in the keys of F Major and D Major and follow a typical pattern of the orchestral suite with an overture followed by several dances.  Telemann tends to use the French overture style for the opening movements.  Here one finds him exploring the unique capabilities of tone color within his limited ensemble.  The result tends to be so accomplished that one forgets that there are no strings.  The music bubbles along in a way listeners will realize will be further apparent in Handel’s orchestral suites.  One is struck at the melodic contour of the horns and the way that the oboes can cut through this with their own interplay that is further enhanced by the bassoon’s commentary as the ideas spin out.  Telemann further delights his listeners through a variety of regional and international dances that are interspersed among these works.  It is often more difficult today to grasp the regional differences of these dance forms, but his use of them here adds an occasional exotic quality.  The opening Overture, TWV 44:16 features an exciting final “Fanfare” with the ensemble showing off its technical skill in the rapid passage work.  The second work is the sole “concerto”.  It features four brief movements in a slow-fast alternation, including a gorgeous “andante” highlighting oboe, and wonderful siciliano.  A beautiful “Sarabande” appears in the Overture in F, TWV 44:8 featuring some fascinating harmonic shifts.  Throughout, one is struck by the sheer variety that Telemann discovered in his use of this particular combination of instruments.

    The performers here are all members of L’Orfeo Baroque Orchestra.  The ensemble is exploring the Baroque style in this intimate chamber music and one can certainly hear how these ideas familiar to orchestral music of the period have been well applied here.  Articulation is clean and crisp and intonation is equally impeccable on the period instruments employed.  The performances have a real sense of joy and fun as they explore this music.  It really does dance along.  CPO has also captured the music well in the sound picture which helps lend this an immediate quality without too much reverb to blur the performances.

    Telemann wrote a great wealth of music and those who love Baroque music can appreciate the ways he was expanding the boundaries and horizons of the period.  Often the sorts of ideas and approaches he would fall upon would find their way into the Rococco and Classical period styles.  These unique pieces are certainly delightful discoveries of lighter music.