| Concerto in E major for Violin, Flute and Oboe d'amore
| Concerto in D major for Trumpet Concerto in G major for Oboe d'amore
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Design/ Jules Halfant
HE BAROQUE ART OF TELEMANN
Solisti di Zagreb Antonio Janigro, Conductor
SIDE A
I. CONCERTO IN E MAJOR FOR FLUTE,
OBOE D’AMORE, VIOLIN, STRINGS AND
CONTINUO 16:50
a. Andante - b. Allegro - c. Siciliana - d. Vivace
RAYMOND MEYLAN, flute; ANDRE LAR-
DROT, oboe d'amore; JELKA STANIC, violin;
DR. JOSEF NEBOIS, harpsichord
II. CONCERTO IN G MAJOR FOR STRINGS
WITH TWO SOLO VIOLAS 6:30
a. Avec douceur - b. Gay - c. Largo - d. Vivement
KARL STIERHOF and PETER PECHA, Ist and
«pe B_2nd violas___
III. CONCERTO IN D MAJOR FOR TRUMPET,
STRINGS AND CONTINUO +:30
a. Adagio - b. Allegro - c. Grave - d. Allegro
HENRI ADELBRECHT, trumpet
IV. CONCERTO IN G MAJOR FOR OBOE
D'AMORE, STRINGS AND CONTINUO
a. Soave - b. Allegro - c. Adagio - d. Vivace
ANDRE LARDROT, oboe d'amore 19330
In the modern sense of the term “concerto,” it is a musical
work planned for a solo instrument with accompaniment by
orchestra, and composed in a manner that throws a spotlight
on the artist who takes up the principal role. For Georg Philipp
Telemann (b. Magdeburg, 1681 - d. Hamburg, 1767), the term
had a much richer meaning. For a century before him the term
had been used to designate an assemblage of musicians; in the
first place, instrumentalists, but also including singers and even
involving the listeners. And it also designated certain specific
methods of organizing the work as a whole. All the meanings
of the term “concerto” can be summed up in the concept of a
unity created through dialogue. But a dialogue in music is more
complex than a dialogue in speech. It expands to embrace the
confrontation of not only individuals but groups, and the groups
themselves may then subdivide to afford dialogues within dia-
logues.
Thus we can describe the 18th century concerto as a mu-
sical form which permitted an assemblage of instrumentalists
to put various aspects of their art into juxtaposition on many
levels; color, expressiveness, virtuosity. The composer’s inven-
tiveness was as much on display as that of the executants. And
part of this inventiveness in creating a baroque concerto lay
in providing the basis for a relative freedom on the part of the
soloists, not only in cadenzas but in an improvised ornamenta-
tion called for throughout the continuous flow of a movement.
It is apparent, even before we go into a detailed examination
of the various forms of the concerto displayed in this program,
that the baroque concerto is quite different from the suite or
the symphony, in which one expressive aim is worked out by
the composer to the last detail. The concerto is primarily an
arena of dialectical action between two groups arbitrarily sep-
arated as on the one hand, soloists or concertino, and on the
other, tutti or ripieni.
In the four concertos on this program, Telemann shows
us that the spirit of the concerto can embrace many different
forms and that the Vivaldi-type schematization does not suit
his temperament. Vivaldi, a composer of genius but sometimes
over-facile, had arrived at a “classical” solution in which he
adopted a pattern of three movements, each one of which fol-
lowed a precise order of tuftis and solos. In Telemann, there
is a general order of four movements, slow-fast-slow-fast, but
at the same time, in contrast to Vivaldi, the individual move-
ments show a variety of structures, different in style and origin.
The Concerto in E major for flute, oboe d’amore and
violin, with strings and continuo, displays the “dialogue” con-
cept on the highest level. The solo group itself embraces con-
trasting timbres, and the four movements place different styles
and structural methods in juxtaposition. Thus the opening An-
dante is a trio accompanied by a homophonic orchestra and
is constructed like the first movement of a sonata. Its recapi-
tulation leads to an organ-point from which grows a cadenza
entirely composed by Telemann. At the same time, the move-
ment is an eloquent display of baroque style in which, through
its very course, the soloists are called upon for improvised
ornament according to the fundamentals of bel canto. The
Allegro has an unusual form. There are five tuttis and four solo
episodes. The tuttis, dà la polonaise, provide the pillars of the
movement, and define the principal tonalities in their logical
order: E - A- B- E - E. The last tutti is exactly the same as
the first. But what is strange is that, replacing the fourth tutti
and solo, all forces take part in a recapitulation of miscellaneous
elements pulled from the first part of the movement. This allows
us to rehear the opening motifs in a reverse order, and so
accentuates the spirit of “dialogue.” ;
The Siciliana is a magnificent construction involving three
main ideas; a melody with the customary Siciliana rhythm, a
metrically trochaic and homophonic orchestral accompaniment,
and a commentary in short arabesque phrases by two solo
parts. The distribution of these elements moves through all
the combinations before arriving at a new interplay where all
the parts have the same importance. A climax grows where
the tension builds up to the major demand made by the last
measures; contrasted harmonies in between which the soloists
in turn must improvise those bridges which Telemann left out.
The end of this movement leads forcefully into the finale,
Vivace, a rondo in form. The ritornello dances on an ostinato
with trills and the three episodes are light diversions led by
each of the solo instruments. The soloists take on clearly diverse
personalities; the oboe d’amore plays the role of a peasant bag-
piper, the violin is a gypsy, and flute is an endearingly nimble
comedian. The harpsichord joins the three like a master of
ceremonies.
The Concerto in G major for two violas has an original
title in French, “Concert par Monsieur Telemann pour 2 violet-
tes, 2 violons, taille et basse.” The title here, aims chiefiy to
establish the homogeneity of the ensemble for which the work
was composed, Striking, first of all, is the all-over string choir
sonority from which two solo instruments, singing essentially
in parallel lines, hardly break away. These two inseparable
violas were called by Vivaldi, “Violette all’ inglese,” and Tele-
mann’s adoption of this helps explain the archaic and some-
what Italian style of his concerto. The concept of building
through contrasts shows itself in the scheme of the composition.
In the first movement, avec douceur or “with sweetness,” the
initial motif of the tutti is inverted in E minor; in the second
movement, gay, there are futtis where the two upper parts reply
to and pursue each other as in a caccia or “chase,” while the
violas play intermezzi of arpeggios and repeated-note figures
without thematic significance. The largo is a trio movement,
church style, supported in places by the entire orchestra. The
finale, vivement, is an almost homophonic rondo with three
ritornellos.
The Trumpet Concerto in D major was modelled after the
late 17th century instrumental style, developed by Giuseppe
Torelli of Bologna or Giovanni-Battista Vitali of Modena. The
two slow movements are written all of one piece, as a melody
accompanied in equal notes by the whole orchestra or like
the grave in three parts of a church sonata. Of the alternating
allegros, the first embarks upon a tone of conversation, as when
the soloist in its first entrance annoutces its special motif, then
interrupts itself in an instant to go back to the beginning, thus
860
_ A Division oy —
Vanguard Records
Recorded under the auspices of
BGS-70679
setting the perspective of the movement’s development. The.
finale resembles a fugal movement of a sonata a quatre, not
only in the character of the opening subject but in the progres-
sive tightening of the counterpoint. The striking “concerto”
aspect of this work is the powerful opposition between one
simple instrument commanding only twelve notes and an or-
chestral able to move freely. Telemann was inspired by these
exacting demands to create a marvellously concise interplay of
developments and contrasts.
The Concerto in G major for oboe d’amore is.more mod-
ern in form and spirit. It reflects the Italian condéption of a
single soloist after the model of a singer in grand opera. But
the work is not only a transposition of the bel canto spirit into
instrumental terms. It is a clear adaptation of the lyric forms
‘used at the beginning of the 18th century. Three out of four
movements are da capo airs; each piece.is essentially tripartite
and within this symmetrical framework the soloist progressively
develops his expressive art and virtuosity. Here one can really
speak of a crowd of supernumeraries supporting the action
which brings about the entrance, discourse and triumph of the
“guest of honor.” The oboe d’amore, an unusual and virtuoso
instrument, shows that it is well suited for this kind of theatrical
occasion.
Summing up the general effect of these four concertos, we
see Telemann as a kind of “master of ceremonies” marshalling
forms from all the musical countries of his culture for the
delight and edification of his listeners. There is perhaps a
Germanic quality about this search for universality. It is difi-
cult to imagine Purcell, Vivaldi or Rameau studying the qual-
ities and styles of other musical nations so closely. And it may
be an important factor in the greatness of Telemann, to have
assimilated in terms of his own distinctive personality the whole
of European culture of his time.
Notes by Raymond Meylan Translated from the French
Outstanding Baroque Recordings by I Solisti di Zagreb
Antonio Janigro, conductor
VIVALDI: The Four Seasons BGS-5001
TELEMANN: 2 Oboe Concertos, Viola Concerto, Violin Concerto,
Sonata a Quattro (Andre Lardrot, oboe)
BGS-5028
THE VIRTUOSO FLUTE — TELEMANN: Flute Suite in A minor,
with MOZART: Concerto for Flute and Harp (Julius Baker,
flute) BGS-5048
VIVALDI: Concertos for Diverse Instruments ;
BGS-70665
BOYCE: The Eight Symphonies BGS-70668
THE VIRTUOSO TRUMPET — Sonata and Concertos by Torelli,
Purcell, Vivaldi, Perti, Gabrieli, Corelli, Clarke, Stanley (4 solo
trumpets; Helmut Wobisch, 1st trumpet) BGS-5041
THE VIRTUOSO TRUMPET, Vol. 2— Concertos and Sonatas by
Haydn, Biber, Manfredini, Alberti, Torelli, L. Mozart (6 solo
trumpets; Helmut Wobisch, Ist trumpet) BGS-5053
THE VIRTUOSO TRUMPET, Vol. 3 — Works of Torelli, Jacchini,
Gabrieli, Aldovandini and Anon. (Helmut Wobisch, 1st trumpet)
BGS-70685
“The best interpretation during the past twenty years of the
Seasons of Vivaldi is that recorded by the Zagreb Soloists directed
by Antonio Janigro.” Igor Stravinsky
“The all-over finest of its kind . . . artistically controlled vir-
tuosity of high register trumpet playing . . . incomparable Janigro
readings and Zagreb ensemble playing . . . flawless and sonically
thrilling.” R. D. Darrell, High Fidelity (on The Virtuoso Trumpet)
“Janigro and his excellent ensemble have turned out another
inspired recording.” Library Journal, on Telemann disc
“Janigro’s interpretation is absolutely first class . . . the vitality
and gusto that we have come to expect from this conductor and his
excellent players.” I. Kipnis, HiFi/Stereo, on Boyce symphonies
This recording was made with a multi-channel complex of microphones, tape
recorders and amplifiers of the most advanced design to produce masters which
embody a frequency response covering the entire range of human hearing. The
monaural version is playable with any monophonic or stereophonic cartridge,
and its richness of sound is further enhanced when played on a stereophonic
system. The stereo version is playable with any stereophonic cartridge. When
reproduced through a stereophonic system it affords a roundness, clarity, defini-
tion, physical presence and natural directionality so that all awareness vanishes
of any intermediary between the listener and the live performance.
VANGUARD AEC o si NEW YORK, (4 i IN U.S.A.
