Telemann: Flute Quartets - Heidelberg Baroque Ensemble

Telemann Flute Quartets liner notes

Telemann wrote two sets of Paris Quartets. The first six were written between 1720 and 1730. These Quadri were published by Le Clerc of Paris, in 1736 as Six Quatuors, The second six were composed in 1737 during Telemann's eight month stay in Paris, and were published in 1738 as Nouveaux Quatuors en Six suites a one flute traversière, un violon, une basse de viole ou violoncelle et basse continue. The Nouveaux Quatuors were composed as a result of the success Telemann's first six Paris Quartets had achieved in that city. Copies of these works (of which three are performed on this recording) had circulated among the finest musicians in Paris. The French liked the use of the viola da gamba and transverse flute as solo instruments. Moreover, their combination of chamber music with elements of the solo concerto was considered novel as well as extremely appealing to the musical life in Parisian salons. Since the 1720's, Italian instrumental forms (such as. the concerto, sonata da camera and sonata da chiesa) had been decidedly fashionable in Paris. Thus, the Quartets include two concerti--called "Concerto Primo'" and "Concerto Secondo, "" and two sonatas (loosely modeled after the sonata da chiesa), called 'Sonata Primo'' and "Concerto Secondo, "" and two sonatas (loosely modeled after the sonata da chiesa), called 'Sonata Primo'' and "Sonata Seconda."" The other two works in the set include two suites, clearly aimed at the French taste for character pieces.