THE MUSIC

Triple Concerto for Flute, Oboe d’amore, Violin, Strings, and Basso Continuo in E Major – Raymond Meylan, lute, André Landrot, oboe d’amore, Jelka Stanic, violin

Double Concerto for 2 Violas, Strings, and Basso Continuo in G Major – Karl Stierhof and Peter Pecha, violas, I Solisti di Zagreb Antonio Janigro, conductor

Triple Concerto for Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Strings, and Basso Continuo in D Major – Peter Masseurs, trumpet, Amsterdam Bach Soloists

Concerto for 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Strings, and Basso Continuo in B Flat Major

Concerto for 3 Trumpets, 2 Oboes, and Timpani in G Major

Overture-Suite in G Major, “La Putain”

The Esterhazy Orchestra, David Blum, conductor

Licensed from Vanguard Classics Executive producer, Seymour Solomon

Project coordinator: Robin Vaughan Mastered for Alto by Paul Arden-Taylor, Dinmore Record

By contrast with his contemporaries to the south, who often remained resolutely Italian in style, Georg Philipp Telemann absorbed the musical tendencies of the continent, incorporating French and Italian compositional ideas in his instrumental compositions, traveling to Paris, where he heard the operatic music of Rameau, and attending performances of Scarlatti operas put on by touring Italian companies while on visits to Germany.

Telemann refined the concept of contrasting the solo instruments of his concerts – often as many as four – with the full ripieno sound of the orchestra. Immensely gifted as a melodist and inexhaustibly prolific, Telemann lived to be 86, often freely exploring a nationalistic sound and a form of music – narrative in spirit – which he imbued with a naughty sense of humor, as was the case with his picaresque “La Putain” suite of dances.

Telemann encouraged his solo players in the use of free ornamentation and free-wheeling cadenzas, undoubtedly inspired by the highly developed Bel Canto of the Italian operas of Vivaldi and Scarlatti.

THE PERFORMANCES

In the ALTO release of Bach Guild and Vanguard Classics recordings dating back to 1967, 1972, and 1988, the peerless playing of lutenist Raymond Meylan, oboist André Landrot, violinist Jelka Stanic, violists Karl Stierhof and Peter Pecha – all five members of I Solisti di Zagreb, all under the superb leadership of Antonio Janigro contributes to the success of the performances of Telemann’s double and triple concertos.

In the same vein, the Triple Concerto for Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Strings, and Basso Continuo in D Major provides the terrific trumpetist Peter Masseurs with music of soloistic brilliance, fully supported by the Amsterdam Bach Soloists.

The Esterhazy Orchestra excels under the leadership of conductor David Blum, with Seymour Solomon as executive producer, Robin Vaughan as project coordinator, and mastering by Paul Arden-Taylor.

Rafael de Acha © 2023