Georg Philipp Telemann: Sonata in C major for recorder and Basso continuo
Sonata after Georg Philipp Telemann and George Frideric Handel (arr. Tabea Debus)
Concerto after Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 35 and 156 (arr. Tabea Debus)
Sonata after Georg Philipp Telemann and George Frideric Handel, HWV 21 (arr. Tabea Debus)
Suite after Michel Blavet, Le jaloux corrigé, and Georg Philipp Telemann, TWV 21:27 (arr. Tabea Debus)
Georg Philipp Telemann: Concerto in F major for recorder, strings and Basso continuo, TWV 51:F1

Recorder player par excellence Tabea Debus strikes again. This is already her fourth recording over a short period of three years for the TYXart label, two of which, the Cantata per Flauto and the more recent Tr!jo Sonaten I've previously enjoyed and reviewed. And again, not only is her flawless instrumental technique highly evident, but also her solid grasp of arranging music for a recorder and continuo combo. This time around, different musicians form her backup band, including Tom Foster harpsichord, Jordan Bowron viola, Claudia Norz and Henry Tong violins, and Jonathan Rees on cello and gamba. But whatever formation she leads at any given moment, always seem to be in complete accordance with her style and provide like-minded expressive touches.

Not only was Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) a highly prolific composer with over 3,600 works to his credit, but he also seems to have had a very strong business acumen. Like much of today's web-based enterprises, like Youtube and Netflix for example, offering monthly subscription deals and packages that guarantee you access to fresh content on a regular basis, Telemann devised a scheme where if you subscribed to his periodicals you were guaranteed to receive new music fresh off the printing press, and he himself was guaranteed advance income for his music, as well as a fairly accurate gauge of his popularity. The other composers on this recording were not only subscribers to Telemann's channel (pun intended), but also contributed and exchanged musical ideas openly, allowing for a constant flow of new creations.

This new CD not only offers a refined and polished listening experience, but also shines a light on the communal musical life of Baroque composers. Gee, I wonder what a 1729 Woodstock music festival would have been like. Barock anyone?