Saturday 9 April 2016

Telemann - Complete Violin Concertos - Wallfisch et al


Rating: 5/5

Review:
An outstanding series

This series by Elizabeth Wallfisch and her different ensembles is really excellent. Telemann is too often dismissed as an amiable but inconsequential composer of mediocre Baroque wall paper. I disagree: I think that much of Telemann's music has real weight and substance under the charm and accessibility, and these discs show it off very well.

Elizabeth Wallfisch has been making very fine baroque recordings for many years now (her recently re-released Vivaldi violin sonatas are absolutely fantastic, for example, and she brings her wonderful technique and depth of understanding to these recordings and makes something really special from them. Slower movements have genuine emotion and feeling without being overly sentimental and the quicker passages have a terrific zing. She is excellently supported by her ensembles, who play with great sensitivity and suppleness and do the music proud.

Every one of this series (five at the time of writing) has been a gem and a real eye-opener for me into the quality of these concerti. The notes, it must be said, are pretty stodgy and not well translated but the music's the thing and it is excellent. I recommend all of these discs very warmly.

No comments:

Post a Comment