Advent And Christmas Cantatas

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767): PRECOCIOUS AND PROLIFIC COMPOSER WHOSE SEDUCTIVE MELODIES LOOK FORWARD TO THE CLASSICAL ERA!

These four cantatas, an ideal combination of poetry and distinctive music composed by Telemann, show to what a considerable extent he has opened the way for J.S.Bach and his contemporaries by introducing the modern operatic style in the German sacred cantata. 'Geistliches Singen und Spielen' (1710-1711), a collection of cantatas for the city of Eisenach with the librettist Erdmann Neumeister, hides four superb Advent and Christmas Cantatas which Paul Dombrecht joyfully restores to life assisted by five outstanding soloists and his very fine Il Fondamento ensemble.

Telemann's sacred music remains an unplowed field. These cantatas offer an ideal introduction to several strands of Telemann's musical thinking. The music is completely different in effect from Bach's cantats, even though the individual conventions used are for the most part common to both composers. For example: the cantata "UNS IST EIN KIND GEBOREN" ( a child is born to us) has festive trumpet parts that Bach might have written, but they are placed in contrast with sweet, seductive melodies that look forward to the Classical Era. The cantata concludes with a simple four-part harmonization of the seventh verse of Luther's famous Christmas Hymn 'Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ'.

The second Christmas cantata "GELOBET SEIST DU, JESU CHRIST" (praised be you, Jesus Christ) contains four arias, though the third and fourth repeat the music of the first and second, but the instrumental accompaniment is changed. Telemann uses much variety in his instrumental scoring.

The Advent Sunday cantata"NUN KOMM DER HEIDEN HEILAND" (come now, Saviour of the heathen) does not include a solo tenor part because no qualified tenor was available to Telemann in Frankfurt at the time. Its first movement is an archaic-sounding imitative motet on the first phrase of Luther's hymn of the same name as the cantata.

The Advent Cantata "DER JUNGSTE TAG WIRD BALD SEIN ZIEL ERREICHEN" (the day of judgement shall soon reach its goal) contains the most operatic moment in any of the cantatas herein. It is the opening accompanied recitative for soprano. But it is not followed by an Aria, instead there is the first two settings of verses from Bartholomaus Ringwald's 1586 hymn 'Es ist gesiBlich an der zeit'. This entire cantata resembles more an opera 'buffa'. Telemann even depicts laughter with characteristic rhythm and supplies 'spottet' (mock) with a ridiculously long melisma, along with mock-serious chromaticism for 'heulen' (wailing).

The solo voices are obviously skilled in this genre and are indeed par excellence. Both sopranos: Greta De Reyghere and Johannette Zomer are equally proficient in their contributions and wonderful to hear with their clear-sounding and right-on pitch voices. The tenor who only has one aria acquits himself very well with an intense and vibrant sound. Steve Dugardin, male alto, is a rising star in the falsetto heavens and certainly proves his worth throughout all the cantatas. The bass Huub Claessens, who had the most to sing, provided rich and resonant sounds; no 'rumbling' from him! The instrumental ensemble was beyond reproach in all of their combinations as they played from Telemann's diversified score. This disc is a sumptuous Feast for the Early Music Lover.

The accompanying booklet supplied excellent information in German, English and French; the text only in German.

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