All five volumes in this series are excellent. Telemann produced a huge amount of music in his long life which has led some people to believe that it is bland Baroque wallpaper. I disagree - there is real depth and interest in much of Telemann's music and Rob Cowan's assertion that he is a great composer waiting to be discovered seems right on the mark to me. The music is often delightful and charming but there is a great variety of mood and style here and it also repays careful listening.
Musica Alta Ripa play it wonderfully. They are a small chamber ensemble with a core group of musicians and extra instrumentalists where needed. They are uniformly excellent with a terrific sense of togetherness and delight in the music and also some amazing individual virtuosity. They bring out not only the charm and amiability of Telemann, but also his profundity and genuine emotion in places.
The recorded sound is excellent, the notes interesting and the packaging attractive. This series of five CDs is a treasure trove of great Baroque music, beautifully played and I recommend it very warmly.
See all 23 tracks on this disc
