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Barbaric Beauty - Holland Baroque Society

Barbaric Beauty - Holland Baroque Society

Channel Classics  CCS SA 31911

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical


Telemann

Holland Baroque Society
Milos Valent (violin)


It goes without saying that Telemann had a thorough command of the French and Italian styles. Countless ensembles, including ours, have played such pieces. In ‘Barbaric Beauty’ we follow a completely different path by focussing on Telemann’s Polish style. At least, this is how he described the pieces he wrote after discovering the music played along the Polish-Hungarian border. It was at the beginning of his career, when he was just 25 years old, that he heard sounds that were to inspire him throughout his life.

Telemann writes in his autobiography: “In 1704 I was appointed Chapelmaster in Sorau (Zary) by His Excellence Count Erdmann von Promnitz. When the Court resided for six months in Plesse and Krakow, I became acquainted with both Polish music and the music of the Hanaks. This in all its barbaric beauty. (The Hanaks are Czechs from Moravia) The music came from four different instruments: an extremely shrill violin, a Polish bagpipe, a bass trombone and a regal. On one occasion I even heard thirty-six bagpipes and eight violins together. One can hardly imagine the brilliant ideas the wind players and violinists brought forth during the improvisations at moments when the dancers were allowed to rest.”

It is striking that Telemann was explicitly interested in the improvisations, mentioning the ‘brilliant ideas’ for which there was only occasion when the band could free itself of the tight metre and musical requirements of the dance. Telemann wrote with enthusiasm: “If you were to write down all that was played there, after a week you would have enough ideas for the rest of your life. If you know how to turn it to your own advantage, there is so much good to be had from this music.” He also wrote: “Later I wrote large-scale concertos and trios in this style, which I subsequently gave an Italian look to by alternating Adagios and Allegros.”

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Review by Graham Williams - October 14, 2011

The session photographs of members of the Holland Baroque Society reproduced in the booklet and packaging of this wonderful SACD shows them wreathed in smiles – and no wonder! This is one of the most entertaining and brilliantly conceived recordings that I have heard for some time.

For this Telemann project - entitled ‘Barbaric Beauty’ - the Holland Baroque Society invited the violinist Milos Valent, as guest leader, to explore the folk-music influences on the 25 year-old Telemann during his time as Kapellmeister at the Court of Count Erdmann von Promnitz in Zary on the Polish Hungarian border. The rich and varied sounds that Telemann heard made a great impression on him and his enthusiasm led to the composition of his thirty ‘Danse d’Polonie’, one of a number of sources used for what we hear here. However, Valent has gone much further and unearthed other manuscripts of 18th century folk music of the region that include, Melodiarium (1720) a collection of Slovakian songs and dances, Collection Uhrovec (1730) and even rare Jewish manuscripts from the same period. These collections not only include the familiar Marches, Minuets and Gavottes found in much of Telemann’s own music, but also dances such as the Polonaise, Murky and Hanac. The result is a rich and varied mix of music and styles upon which MilosValent and his musicians have been able to draw.

In addition to the Holland Baroque Society’s instrumental line-up that includes theorbo, archlute, tiorbino and baroque guitar, there is some exotic sounding percussion and most importantly the participation of the brilliant Jan Rokyta. He not only plays the cimbalom, whose distinctive tones features in much of the music, but also folk recorders, Armenian duduk and clarinet. The result is an amazing range of sounds, textures and infectious rhythms.

The generous 77’32” of music on the disc is divided into eight ‘suites’ of marvellous diversity and glowing instrumental colours. In two of the most beguiling suites (Tracks 4 and 6) there is no actual music by Telemann, but they vividly illustrate the phrase ‘barbaric beauty’ that Telemann himself coined with reference to the music he heard whilst in Zany.

Needless to say the 5.0 DSD recording made by Jared Sacks, using state-of-the-art technology (Grimm Audio/ Pyramix Editing/Merging Technologies), is magnificent in its tonal veracity and dynamic range.

The captivating music, vibrant playing and the immediacy of the superb recorded sound makes this a most cherishable SACD.

Copyright © 2011 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

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