Track Listing

1. Andante
2. Vivace
3. Adagio
4. Allegro
5. Largo
6. Allegro
7. Gratioso
8. Allegro
9. Lentement
10. [Ohne Satzbezeichnung]
11. Loure
12. [Rondeau]
13. Andante
14. Allegro
15. Siciliano
16. Vivace
17. Moderato
18. Allegro
19. Largo
20. Vivace

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90217 in Music
• Released on: 2003-01-07
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
This is a delightful record. Telemann, one of the most prolific composers of all time, wrote music that is technically masterful, endlessly inventive, full of surprises, emotionally mercurial, and continuously engaging. In these five concertos, composed over two decades, the solo flutist is often joined by one or more soloists from the ranks of the orchestra, who, as in Telemann's day, are all fully equal to the task. This results in a wide variety of combinations and colors, illustrating Telemann's skill in displaying each instrument at its best, so as to "give the player joy, the listener pleasure," as he himself put it.

These performances certainly radiate infectious enjoyment. The concertos all follow the traditional form, alternating four slow and fast movements, but are infinitely diverse in tonality, texture, mood, and character. There are carefree, sprightly, playful, elegant dances, humorous imitation games, brilliant passage-work and cadenzas, startling chromaticisms, and deeply expressive melodies that beguile the ear and touch the heart. The first movement of the opening Concerto is so reminiscent of a Bach Arioso that one of the two composers must have "borrowed" it from the other. The playing is superb in a modified period-style: the pitch is normal; the sound wonderfully pure, but rich and full; tempi are designed to invite both virtuosity and leisurely enjoyment of musical and expressive details. Pahud uses a narrow, restrained vibrato that underlines the flawless beauty of his tone. The other players, all like him present or past principals of the Berlin Philharmonic, match him in the perfection of their intonation, phrasing, and ensemble. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews

Elegance and Charm, Not to Mention Beauty
I'll leave the musical analysis to others here, but this is one of the most charming and lovely flute recordings I've come across. Pahud has the right felicitous touch for this charming---there's no other word for it---music from the prolific G.P. Telemann. I've listened to it many times and never tire of it. Really. It's terrific.

Superb Telemann
Telemann: Flute Concertos; Emmanuel Pahud

Let me suggest that you should first read the editorial review by Edith Eister above, I agree with all she says. This is an excellent performance by Emmanuel Pahud, and the other soloists, with the Berliner Barock Solisten, of some of the works for flute by the prolific Georg Philipp Telemann. The Berliner Barock Solisten is made up of leading members of the Berlin Philamonic, here they employ a mix of period and modern instruments, essentially all the strings are period instruments with gut strings, and the wind solo instruments, flutes and oboe d'amore, are modern. While I would generally prefer a period performance, this mix works very well indeed, thanks to the level of skill of soloists and orchestra. The balance between soloists is excellent, and the rapport between soloists is palpable.
Two of the concertos we hear on this CD are premier recordings, and two are well known; the concerto for flute, violin, cello, strings and continuo is from Telemann's well known Tafel Musique, and the superb concerto for flute, oboe d'amore, viola d'amore, strings and continuo.
The sound quality is first class, as are the informative cover notes.
Pahud has established a fine reputation as a flautist in baroque, classical and romantic music, and can be regarded as successor to Rampal.
This is an excellent performance, highly recommended, I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars.

The usual high standard
Telemann is my favourite composer, a supreme master of melodic invention. Generally I prefer Baroque music played on period instruments, so I had some of these concertos played on recorder, but the performances here are so fine and so much in the (assumed) "period" style that I'm very impressed with these "modern" instrument versions. Pahud is fluid and dexterous and the Berlin Baroque Soloists is a very tight and lively ensemble. The orchestra's instruments are generally ancient ones anyway, if not tuned down a semitone or played with gut strings. Importantly, the melodies are artfully caressed so they achieve an appropriate prominence. Recording quality is very good too, and there's a couple of premiere recordings here. The opening track was a surprise as it's so very much like the middle movement of Bach's fifth keyboard concerto. Not unusual though, Handelian themes turn up in Telemann every so often too. Who stole from whom?