Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) was a composer with an exceptionally broad range of interests. He drew inspiration from diverse musical traditions and moved with ease between different genres and styles. This versatility forms the starting point of Wunderkammer, the album on which recorder player Max Volbers and the ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro bring together music from various corners of Telemann's oeuvre. The title refers to the historical wonder chamber: a collection in which diverse objects stand side by side and, precisely through their mutual contrasts, form a surprising whole.
Musically too, the programme is conceived as an exploration of unexpected connections. Well-known works take on a different guise through transcriptions and arrangements, while less familiar compositions open up new perspectives. Volbers adds a personal touch with a composition of his own. The alternation between character pieces, dances and contrapuntal music ensures that the programme constantly changes colour.
A suite from different worlds
The first group brings together various character pieces that originate in Telemann's orchestral suites. The titles already indicate the diverse moods: from the whimsical character of La Bizarre to the sighs of Les Soupirs de Quichotte and the birdlike Rossignol. L’Hypocondre, Harlequinade, Les vielles femmes and the Chaconne comique also show how eagerly Telemann translated musical characters and situations into sound.
In Rossignol, the recorder with its agile ornamentation evokes the song of a nightingale. L’Hypocondre is quite different: here the recorder seems to try to cheer up the hypochondriac, while the orchestra sets a darker sonic world against it. In Les vielles femmes the tempo slows and the music takes on a languid, comical quality. Such contrasts make the series lively: behind the elegant baroque forms lies a composer with a sense of theatre and human idiosyncrasies.
The recorder proves to be a versatile instrument in this context. It can sound light and agile, but also let the melody breathe and bring out a more contemplative side of the music. Volbers makes the differences between the pieces clearly audible and keeps the effects restrained. Il Pomo d’Oro follows the shifts with a sense of timing and regularly lets the accompanying voices play a role of their own. In this way the music stays in motion, even when attention briefly shifts from the soloist to the ensemble.
From melancholy to dance
A very different side of Telemann emerges in the Sonata in F minor, originally written for bassoon and basso continuo. The marking Triste sets the tone immediately: the minor key and melancholic character distinguish this work from the more humorous and theatrical pieces on the disc. On the recorder, the melodic line takes on a lighter, more agile colour than one would expect from the bassoon, without the seriousness of the piece disappearing. Volbers keeps the phrasing restrained and lets the melody retain its own expressive power.
This is followed by the Sinfonia from the opera Pastorelle en musique, in which the shepherdess Caliste withdraws into sleep because she doubts her future with Damon. After the orchestral introduction, Volbers' dreamy recorder playing evokes an almost otherworldly realm. At times the sound of his recorder takes on something of a shawm, underlining the pastoral character of the music.
The dance music that follows shows how Telemann was inspired by the folk music he came to know during his travels through present-day Poland and the Czech Republic. Two Polish dances from the so-called Rostock manuscript were arranged for this recording by concertmaster Alfia Bakieva. They are purely orchestral pieces, in which the strings firmly articulate the rhythm and shape the melodies with great zest.
Telemann as a source of inspiration
With the Hanakian Dance, Volbers himself steps forward as a composer. The piece is based on the Presto from Telemann's twelfth fantasia for solo flute, but develops into a rondo in which the original material is supplemented with passages of his own. The virtuosic figures follow one another in quick succession, while rhythmic variations towards the end give the music extra momentum. Volbers uses Telemann's music not only as a starting point but builds his own story with it. The result is a playful and technically demanding piece that forms one of the highlights of the album.
Volbers' arrangement of the fourteenth fugue from Telemann's Zwanzig Kleine Fugen for strings also deserves attention. The voices remain clearly distinguishable and together build a strong tension. Following the dances and character pieces, this fugue provides a dramatic counterweight, with the musical progression arising entirely from the interplay of the strings.
A suite as finale
The Suite in A minor for recorder, strings and basso continuo forms the closing piece of the programme. The Ouverture combines lively motion with a slightly biting undertone and a touch of humour. Volbers and the ensemble keep the music light on its feet without smoothing out its sharper edges. Les Plaisirs has an elegant and dance-like character, with the recorder playfully in the foreground, while Air à l’Italien changes the mood. The sober continuo accompaniment allows the melancholy of the melody to come fully into its own, making this movement one of the more restrained moments of the suite.
Le Menuet reprend le mouvement de la danse sous une forme maîtrisée. Ensuite, Réjouissance ravive l'énergie, avec des parties de violon vives et résolument présentes. Dans la Polonaise, cette énergie trouve une suite appropriée. Volbers passe avec souplesse d'un caractère à l'autre ; Il Pomo d’Oro joue avec lui, avec des accents précis et un jeu d'ensemble où les lignes instrumentales plus petites et plus douces trouvent également toute leur place.
Une chambre des merveilles aux couleurs sonores
Wunderkammer se distingue par la manière dont Volbers forge le programme en un ensemble cohérent. Danses, pièces de caractère, contrepoint et sa propre composition se complètent et forment plus qu'une suite d'œuvres isolées.
Volbers convainc en outre par son sens de la nature propre à chaque pièce : il fait chanter le rossignol, donne aux pièces comiques leurs traits enjoués et trouve dans les mouvements plus lents une expression recueillie. Il Pomo d’Oro s'accorde étroitement à cette approche, avec une netteté rythmique et des nuances subtiles. Le résultat est un disque qui invite à une écoute répétée, car Telemann y surprend chaque fois sous un angle différent.
