Georg Philipp Telemann was—to characterize him in contemporary terms—a workaholic, thanks to which we have, amongst his 3,000-plus works, his two sets of marvelously rich Paris Quartets. The first set of quartets, or quadri, was published in Hamburg and such was their popularity that they were republished in Paris by Le Clerc in 1736 without Telemann’s permission. This prompted Telemann to make a long-awaited visit to the French capital where he stayed for eight months in 1737–38. While there, he composed a second set of quartets, naming his two collections Quadri and Nouveaux Quatuors. In the latter part of the 20th century, the editors of the Telemann Musikalische Werke titled the two sets collectively as The Paris Quartets, by which name we still know them. The London Handel Players, featuring leading period-instrument specialists, presents the six Quadri in the first volume of Paris Quartets. The ensemble of London Handel Players is flexible in size, consisting primarily of strings, flute/recorder, and harpsichord. The featured musicians on this first volume are Rachel Brown, flute; Adrian Butterfield, violin; Gavin Kibble, viola da gamba; Sarah McMahon, cello; and Silas Wollston, harpsichord.


I’m always amazed by the music of Telemann: not only the sheer volume of compositions, but how he treats rhythms and harmonies. This first volume from the London Handel Players not only sounds nice, but pays attention to subtle details. Note the Rigaudon in the Suite à 4, TWV 43:e1 and the vivace from the Concerto à 4, TWV 43:D1 for passionate and musical readings. Looking forward to more in this series!
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