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Bach - the cerebral composer, the creator of tortuous fugues, rigorous canons, ingenious chaconnes. Telemann the entertainer, more interested in accessibility (for both performer and listener) than in intellectual satisfaction...yet there's plenty of that to be had in these lovely Fantasias. And they sound like fantasies, conjured out of nowhere as improvisations; ideas tumble after one another almost as though this were a kind of jazz.
Telemann was a fine violinist himself, and knew how to make the instrument dance and sing and so does Rachel Podger, who revels in the bagpipe-like drones you sometimes get in the last sections of the Fantasias, reminders of Telemann's love of Polish folk music from his days in Silesia. Perhaps Andrew Manze in his Harmonia Mundi recording from the mid-1990s finds just a touch more freedom in his fantasising, more devil-may-care in the dancing, but Podger's thoughtfulness and clarity, and her easy command of the baroque instrument bring different rewards...not least a reminder that the days are gone when fans of baroque violin music had to suffer for their art, either in ridiculously over-blown performances on modern instruments, or scratchy, technically suspect readings on period violins.
Rachel Podger has made my favourite period instrument recording of those great Bach works for solo violin, and this is a lovely companion piece: Bach's friend Telemann showing his expertise and skill both as player and composer in his 12 Fantasias, admittedly relatively humble alongside Bach's awesome vehicles for violinists, but then Telemann would never have wanted them to be compared. His charm, melodic and harmonic gifts and ingenuity are very satisfying in their own right, and in performances like these everyone's a winner. Not just for violinists, by the way: anyone who enjoys baroque music performed with panache should give this a listen.
Andrew McGregor - presenter of CD Review on Radio 3 --John Armstrong
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Of course, these fantasias aren't really in the same class as Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin (what is?), but there is certainly still more than just witty lyricism here. Telemann is full of excellent ideas and amply reaches towards the profound in some of the slow movements here, as well as many exciting fast passages. The fantasias move with ease and grace, yet often do indeed sound improvised, originally the point of a fantasia.
The violin is used to the fullest of its various expressional capabilities, except for effects such as pizzicato - the emphasis is not on such special tricks, but on subtlety of phrasing, beauty of chords and double stopping, and magnificent power of feeling. Podger plays cleanly and with total control on an excellent-sounding Baroque instrument.
It takes more than one listen to become acquainted with the style of composition here (though Telemann's general language is both individual and readily palatable), but on the whole this is not challenging listening - it is music for music's sake, and thank goodness Telemann turned his inspired mind to whipping these works out (probably in an afternoon, knowing his abundance of compositions!) These would also be good preparation for those finding Bach's aforementioned sonatas and partitas a little tricky to digest.
These works are individual and of perhaps yet-unrecognised importance; and I highly recommend to the novice and connoiseur alike!
PS. Purchasing the sheet music to follow (or indeed play) improves the listening and understanding, though this is the same with most music!
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