Telemann: Paris Quartets Vol. 1: 6 Quartets

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) was—to use the words of his contemporaries—a workaholic to whom we owe over 3,000 works. Volume 1 of the Paris Quartets presents: “6 Quadri,” recorded by the leading specialists in historical instruments, The London Handel Players. At the height of his phenomenal productivity, Telemann held the positions of Kantor at the Johanneum Latin School in Hamburg, Kapellmeister of the city's five major churches, and Director of the Hamburg Opera. He was also under obligation to the courts of Eisenach and Bayreuth. As if that were not enough, he began an ambitious project to self-publish his works. These included the quartets presented here for violin, flute, viola da gamba, or cello and continuo, namely two Italian concertos, two sonatas in the German style, and two balletti or suites of French dances. The first set of quartets, or Quadri, was published in Hamburg—certainly by 1730, even if the exact date is unknown—and was so popular that it was reissued in Paris by Le Clerc in 1736 without Telemann’s permission. The London Handel Players ensemble is flexible in its instrumentation and consists primarily of strings, flute/recorder, and harpsichord. The musicians heard on the first album of Telemann’s “Paris Quartets” are Rachel Brown (flute), Adrian Butterfield (violin), Gavin Kibble (viola da gamba), Sarah McMahon (cello), and Silas Wollston (harpsichord).