Sunday 29 September 2019

Telemann - Voyageur Virtuose - Amaryllis


Rating: 5/5

Review:
Excellent Telemann

In recent years Telemann has begun to be recognised for the genuinely great composer that he was, and this disc will serve to further that recognition. It's a cracking collection of six of his Trio Sonatas featuring flute, oboe and cello and I find it a delight.

The music is excellent. It is Baroque chamber music at its best, full of melody, harmonic invention and beautifully varied moods. Telemann's prolific output has led a lot of people to assume that he wrote reams of pleasant but ultimately uninteresting wallpaper but that really isn't the case. These sonatas show his true skill and inventiveness so that while listening to this music it is easy to see why Bach admired Telemann so greatly.

The performances really bring out all the music's qualities. Charm and grace abound, but there is also real bounce and zing in the quicker movements and genuine feeling in the slower movements. Amaryllis are a new ensemble to me and they are terrific, showing an effortless virtuosity, an obvious joy in the music and a wonderful empathy between them. It is exemplary chamber playing and a joy to listen to, very well captured in the excellent recorded sound.

I don't mean to gush, but I really do love this disc. It is in the same league for me as the Purcell Quartet's superb recordings of Bach's Trio Sonatas, which is very high praise indeed. Very warmly recommended.

No comments:

Post a Comment