Telemann: Wassermusik (Water Music); 3 Concertos /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel

Georg Philipp Telemann (Composer), Reinhard Goebel (Conductor), Musica Antiqua Koln (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Musica Antiqua Koln
• Conductor: Reinhard Goebel
• Composer: Georg Philipp Telemann
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Archiv Produktion
• ASIN: B0000057CI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,770 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #73 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Baroque (c.1600-1750) > Composers > Telemann, Georg Philipp

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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a lesser known great, November 19, 2000

By 

Jonathan J. Casey (the twin cities) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Telemann: Wassermusik (Water Music); 3 Concertos /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel (Audio CD)

Telemann's Wassermusik (composed in 1723) is a highly enjoyable baroque masterpiece. The Harlequinade (track 6) is especially great, featuring a chorus of cellos over rollicking pizzicato violins. The Sarabande (track 2) is a sweet, beatuiful interlude after the bombastic overture. The exact meaning of the subtitles are unknown, but each movement carries a distinct flavor- and it is this abstract quality of instrumental music that Telemann so completely masters.

Goebel and the Musica Antiqua Koln bring so much to this music in skill, energy, feeling, and texture. The three recorder concertos show off the immense talents of the wind players, which is already apparent in the Water Music. Don't get me wrong- I'm not smashing recorders in the street- but I'm sure I'm not alone in my prejudice against this instrument (why are there so many Marion Verbruggen albums flooding the market?). These are fine works nonetheless, and for those of you who DO favor the instrument you'll enjoy this recording all the more. In any event, I've been finding a lot of surprises in Telemann's ouvre. It's no wonder he was so well regarded in his time. If you're having difficulty sifting through the scads of works by this composer, please give this CD a try. It is a perfect recording of a deeply pleasing work.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relaxed and Transparent, Glorious Winds, February 9, 2008

By 

Leslie Richford (Selsingen, Lower Saxony) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Telemann: Wassermusik (Water Music); 3 Concertos /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel (Audio CD)

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 - 1767): Overture in C major "Water Music" (or "Hamburger Ebb' und Fluth"); Concertos in B flat major, F major and A minor). Performed by Musica Antiqua Köln, directed by Reinhard Goebel. Recorded in 1984 at the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Hamburg-Harburg, Germany. Published in 1984 as DG Archiv 413 788-2. Total playing time: 49'10".

Telemann's "Water Music" is very different from Handel's. Published in 1723 to celebrate the centenary of the Hamburg "Admiralty" or Port Authority, it is basically a French-style suite of dances, preceded by a lengthy "Ouverture". The only number which does not fit into this scheme is no. 7, "Der stürmende Aeolus" in which the furious stormy winds which abound in the Hamburg district are allowed to rant and rave. The dance numbers are all given headings which indicate not only their particular dance rhythm but also show that Telemann intended to paint mythological pictures with them (Thetis, Neptune, the Naiads, Triton, Aeolus and Zephyr are all names from Greek mythology and have to do with the sea and the wind, so this is all very appropriate for a celebration in the port city of Hamburg). The last two numbers are a jig in which the coming and going of the tide is portrayed and a "canarie" which depicts the merry goings-on among the boatspeople.

Musica Antiqua Köln (Cologne) give a relaxed and very transparent performance of this music which I like very much, although I have to add that the version produced by Paul Dombrecht and his orchestra Il Fondamento for Vanguard Classics in 1996 (and re-released on the Belgian label Passacaille: ASIN: B000ALJ9C4) is, to my mind, even better, with slightly faster tempi and rather more emphasis on the winds. The Dombrecht is coupled with Handel's Water Musick, whereas Goebel adds three quite rare Telemann suites which are beautifully performed and give his winds a chance to display all their glory. And glory there is here, too, for Goebel has among his players some of the most famous German early music specialists, including Michael Schneider, Karl Kaiser, Hans-Peter Westermann and Michael McCraw, with no less than Andreas Staier and Harald Hoeren playing the two harpsichords (Dombrecht appears to use only one harpsichord).

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF IT WERE POSSIBLE I WOULD GIVE IT 10 STARS, January 13, 2009

By 

Carmen Martinez - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Telemann: Wassermusik (Water Music); 3 Concertos /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel (Audio CD)

THIS IS THE ONLY VERSION I HAVE LISTENED HOWEVER I SUSPECT IS UNIQUE BECAUSE OF A GLORIOUS INTERPRETATION AND A FIRST CLASS RECORDING. IF YOU BUY IT YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.