SYRINX the Saxon Alternative Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

THE SAXON ALTERNATIVE Telemann Music for Wind Band SYRINX RES10154 The Saxon Alternative Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Telemann: Music for Wind Band Overture in F major, TWV 44:7 Overture in B flat major, TWV 55:B3 for 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 bassoons and harpsichord for 2 oboes, taille, 2 bassoons and harpsichord 1. Overture [4:33] 18. Overture [4:14] 2. Rondeau [2:55] 19. La Discretion [1:45] 3. Sarabande [2:13] 20. Menuets I & II [2:05] 4. Menuet [1:05] 21. Courante [1:37] 5. Bourée [1:17] 22. La Grimace [1:24] Syrinx 23. La Doute [1:36] Overture in C minor, TWV 55:c3 24. Le Someile [3:27] for 2 oboes, taille, 2 bassoons and harpsichord 25. Mercure [0:51] Belinda Paul baroque oboe & oboe d’amore 6. Ouverture [4:01] 7. Prelude [1:41] Ann Allen baroque oboe & oboe d’amore Overture in F major, TWV 44:14 8. Aria I – Presto [0:59] for 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 bassoons and harpsichord Hanna Geisel taille 9. Aria II – Vivace [0:56] 26. Overture [2:52] Anneke Scott natural horn 10. Aria III – Vivace [1:31] 27. Loure [2:29] Kate Goldsmith natural horn 11. Aria IV – Allegro [0:55] 28. Les Paysans [1:52] 12. Aria V – Allegro [1:23] 29. Menuet [0:58] baroque bassoon Sally Holman 13. Aria VI – Presto [1:18] 30. Passepied [2:01] Inga Maria Klaucke baroque bassoon 31. Gigue [1:58] Dan Tidhar harpsichord Concerto a 5 in D major, TWV 44:2 for 2 oboes d’amore, 2 horns, 2 bassoons and harpsichord 14. Andante [1:11] Total playing time [62:04] 15. Allegro [1:41] 16. Siciliano [2:25] 17. Presto [2:35] Georg Philipp Telemann: musician, linguist, musical posts (Żary, Eisenach, Frankfurt, entrepreneur and spy Bayreuth) and travelled widely. He left traces of himself all over Europe – autograph copies Georg Philipp Telemann (14 March 1681- of his music fill libraries throughout Germany 25 June 1767) was the archetypal eighteenth and his journals found their way across century polymath – linguist, diplomat (an the whole of Western Europe; Handel eighteenth century euphemism for a spy), subscribed from London. He assimilated the businessman and publisher, as well as musical styles of France, Italy and Poland one of the foremost composers of his (particularly folk music), combining and age. He died prosperous and famous adapting them effortlessly in his own (his income at Hamburg was about three compositions. times what Johann Sebastian Bach earned at Leipzig, and he made a substantial In 1721 he accepted the prestigious post profit on his publications) and, remarkably of Kantor of the Hamburg Johanneum. It for a man of such overt ambition – included teaching responsibilities, the extraordinarily popular – a contented, directorship of Hamburg’s five principal humorous man, loved and universally churches, and unlimited opportunities to respected by his contemporaries. compose and perform. Given a free reign over the musical life of Hamburg he began As a young man, determined to make a by increasing the number of public concerts career from music despite the opposition in churches, the Drill-Hall and at the ‘Lower of his parents, he was sent to Leipzig Tree-House’ tavern, subscription concerts University (stopping off on the way to at which a wide variety of sacred and visit Handel) where he studied law, secular music was performed. science and languages. While a student he founded the Collegium Musicum, He became music director of the Hamburg subsequently directed by Johann Opera, and published Der getreue Sebastian Bach. He promoted concerts, Musikmeister (The Faithful Music Master) and threw himself into performing and from 1728. Intended as a sort of musical composition, writing for and becoming worksheet by post the periodical appeared director of the Leipzig Opera in 1703 every two weeks in the form of a four-page and organist at the Neue Kirche in 1704. ‘Lesson’. It consisted entirely of printed Thereafter he held a series of important music – and rather like Victorian serialised novels, if you liked the first two movements Les Douze Grands Hautbois, and soon caught The repertoire of these groups mirrored In the horn’s defence its association with of a sonata you would have to buy the the attention of visiting aristocracy. Across that of string ensembles – orchestral suites, the hunt lent it a definite caché. It came to following edition to find out what happened Europe orders were placed for these masques, operas and even masses were be identified with chivalry and wealth – only next. fashionable new instruments, and double orchestrated entirely for winds. the exceptionally well-heeled could afford reed bands sprang up to perform at civic to run a hunt. By the time Telemann got Telemann retained his post in Hamburg occasions, society dinners, coronations, Around 1715 a variant of the oboe band his hands on it the horn was well-placed to until his death in 1767, although throughout picnics, weddings, masques and other emerged from Eastern Europe. Although become the next big thing. his tenure he managed to travel widely spectacular events. Handel’s Water and not everybody was convinced (In 1717 despite his hectic (self-imposed) schedule, Fireworks Music was typical of these in Vienna one lady wrote ‘[...] the music The Saxon Alternative formed the basis of possibly as part of his ‘diplomatic’ duties. extravagances, but far from unique. good, if they had not that detestable the modern orchestral wind section. During He was succeeded in the position by his custom of mixing hunting horns with it, the third quarter of the eighteenth century godson Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. The most important and ubiquitous that almost deafen the company’), this it morphed into the classical Harmonie, art-music ensemble of the late-seventeenth ensemble became known as the Saxon most commonly in the from of the wind His output was startling in its range and century and eighteenth centuries was the Alternative and was rapidly adopted octet. Telemann set the stage with his sixteen sheer volume – church cantatas, (numbering oboe band, often augmented by brass. as the aristocratic musical accessory of large scale suites for this ground-breaking at least 1043) and settings of the Passion The Hautboisten Band appealed to the choice. The addition of horns transformed ensemble; Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, for each year that he was in Hamburg, aristocratic market as a flexible, multi-purpose the oboe band into something entirely Weber, and Schubert were then seduced (forty-six in all) occasional pieces, opera, ensemble suitable for outdoor performances new and a bit daring. by its rustic exuberance. But the ascendency oratorio, orchestral music and a vast as well as intimate soirées, but above all as of the classical wind ensemble is another story. quantity of chamber music, much of which being modern and on-trend. The very inclusion of the horn was a brave he published himself. He had a lifelong move. Long regarded as the poor relation Telemann and the Wind Ensemble friendship with Handel; they corresponded By the end of the seventeenth century the of the brass family and not quite proper, and in 1750 Handel went to the trouble of Hauboisten Band was a must-have the horn was only just beginning to appear The works on this album are all orchestral sending him from London ‘a crate of accoutrement of German Court life. German in art music, and then often only as a suites written for wind ensemble. The form flowers, which experts assure me are very aristocrats went on shopping trips specifically sound effect. Even as far back as 1425 originated in France and consisted of a choice and of admirable rarity’. in order to hire the very best players; and the horn had an image problem; the town formal Overture followed by a series of although the instrumental line-up was an of Dijon petitioned the Duke of Burgundy dances. Telemann transformed it into one The Seventeenth and Eighteenth- exact replication of Louis XIV’s ensemble – permission to use a trumpet because ‘[...] of the most popular genres of the German Century Wind Ensemble the players were often French and the many lords and foreigners make fun of the High Baroque. By 1745 he had written over instruments almost universally were – the horn because it is degrading; and it would 600 of them, ranging from works for four-part When the oboe was invented during the music they played was very much in the be a much greater honour for the town wind or string ensembles to multi-choir 1650s it was quickly adopted by Louis XIV’s High Baroque German style. to have a trumpet rather than a horn.’ extravaganzas. elite and highly paid double reed ensemble Telemann’s wind music reveals a fascinating 1733. The music could have been written He was at the forefront of music making He studied with Le Riche in Dresden and knew mix of styles; perfectly balanced Baroque while Telemann was based in nearby in Purcell’s London; by the age of 23 he Telemann from his work with the Collegium dances and full-blown orchestral overtures Frankfurt but probably also dates from his was working in England at the court of Musicum in Leipzig. Böhm was appointed rub shoulders with the rustic miniature of early years in Hamburg. James II. Following the Glorious Revolution Concertmeister in Darmstadt while Telemann Les Paysans and the gentle snoring of James fled to France and Le Riche lost his was based in Frankfurt. The vast body of muted double-reeds in Le Someil. The Both the oboe band suites date from permanent position at court but was still fabulous music for recorder and oboe oboe and horn ensemble was a new Telemann’s time in Frankfurt and would employed on a casual basis by William III.

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