Here is a side of Telemann we rarely see, and one that those of us who know him through his recorder sonatas or flute fantasias may not have dreamed possible. This concerto-en-suite was a gift from Telemann to his life-long friend Pisendel, concertmaster of the famed Dresden Hofkapelle, the most admired orchestra in Europe. Written sometime in the years surrounding 1750, it is a work of immense imagination, taking great advantage of the virtuosity of the Dresden orchestra and its famed leader and putting the composer’s immense range of style and ability to stay up-to-date with style on full display. It is one of only three pieces in the hybrid concerto-en-suite form in Telemann’s oeuvre, with an opening concerto movement featuring the concertmaster himself (in this recording, the formidable Emlyn Ngai) as first-among-many-soloists, followed by a series of suite movements. The orchestra features flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, timpani, strings and continuo.
Gwyn Roberts
Co-Director & Co-Found, Tempesta di Mare
EMA Board Member
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