Fantasia
Tabea Debus
Even during his lifetime, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) was highly esteemed by his colleagues for his musicality and versatility. This included his ability to compose, in rapid succession, pieces that lodged themselves in people’s minds like earworms, as well as his instinct for music, business, and publishing. Not least, Telemann was known for his modern spirit, which enabled him to attune himself to the changing musical tastes of his time and the preferences of his audience. His compositional output embraces influences and musical fashions from many European countries, which he fused into the mixed style known as the goût réuni.
This stylistic blend is especially pronounced in his XII Fantasias for flute without bass (c. 1733, Hamburg). These solo flute fantasias combine German counterpoint with Italian virtuosity, French and English dance movements with folk dances shaped by Polish traditions. Perhaps this is what Telemann’s choice of title “Fantaisie” refers to: an imaginative, inventive, daring, and fantastic juxtaposition of musical languages. This invites us to explore the enduring relevance of these ingenious pieces by adding the 21st century to the mosaic of compositional styles.
Tabea Debus has commissioned twelve contemporary works, each based on one of the Fantasias. All of these newly composed pieces are reflections on thematic, harmonic, or rhythmic material from the Fantasias—a (re-)interpretation of musical ideas, an answer to Telemann’s musical thoughts.
This concert aims not only to document the ever-growing repertoire for solo recorder, but also to reveal previously “unknown” ways of listening to seemingly “old” music. It seeks to demonstrate the continuing relevance of Telemann’s music in general, and of his Fantasias for solo flute in particular.
»[…] Debus’s eloquent phrasing and consistently intelligent musicianship, coupled with a charismatic virtuosity rarely encountered on the music scene, breathe life into all these works, regardless of their time of origin and approach. It takes a deeply gifted artist to make listening to twenty-four solo recorder fantasias—let alone Telemann’s twelve—such a compelling and rewarding experience.«
Recorder Magazine, United Kingdom (06/2018)
Works by Telemann and contemporary composers
Sat, 16.05.26 | 21:30 | » Erlöserkirche
