3046
GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN
TWELVE FANTASIAS
FOR SOLO FLUTE
Paula ROBISON, Flute
12 Fantasias for Solo Flute
Fantasia in A major, TWV 40.2 (Vivace – Allegro) 03:05
Fantasia in A minor TWV 40.3 (Grave – Vivace – Adagio – Allegro) 05:13
Fantasia in B minor, TWV 40.4 (Largo – Vivace – Largo – Vivace –Allegro) 03:46
Fantasia in B-flat major, TWV 40.5 (Andante – Allegro – Presto) 04:17
Fantasia in C major, TWV 40.6 (Presto – Largo – Presto – Dolce –Allegro – Allegro) 04:32
Fantasia in D minor, TWV 40.7 (Dolce – Allegro – Spirituoso) 06:30
Fantasia in D major, TWV 40.8 (Alla francese – Presto) 04:21
Fantasia in E minor, TWV 40.9 (Largo – Spirituoso – Allegro) 04:16
Fantasia in E major, TWV 40.10 (Affettuoso – Allegro – Grave –Vivace) 06:07
Fantasia in F-sharp minor, TWV 40.11 (A Tempo giusto – Presto –Moderato) 05:29
Fantasia in G major, TWV 40.12 (Allegro – Adagio – Vivace –Allegro) 03:38
Fantasia in G minor (Grave – Allegro – Grave – Allegro – Dolce –Allegro – Presto) 05:31
Born in Magdeburg, Germany on March 14, 1681, Georg Philipp Telemann demonstrated great talent for
playing in struments at an early age, and although his
mother protested, he was allowed music lessons Unfortunately, he ended up under the tutelage of an old "fuddy-duddy'" of an organist who clung tightly to old ideas and outmnoded forms of notation As a result, the young boy stopped his lessons after only two weeks, and was completely self-taught in music from that point on
As he said in the earlier of his two autobiographies, he was blessed with an easy talent for composition, and almost immediately began to turn out works in all
fields. Soon he was teaching music as deputy to the
cantor in the local school, while teaching himself the
rules of composition through the study of scores by well-known composers. In order to be sure that the
cantor and his associates heard his works, Telemann signed them with a false but poetic name, and before long the air was full of praise for this new and unknown composer Hearing this, the boy immediately
wrote and starred in an opera, which he later in life hinted was an embarrassing composition. In any case, it had the effect of his mother's imposing an absolute ban on any further study of composition or instruments, and he was forced into clandestine candlelight score reading sessions, as well as practicing on borrowed instruments in lonely places.
musician, and eventually allowed the boy to continue
his musical endeavors. And so he again studied
scores, writing down his own rules for the realizatíon
of figured basses, naive of the fact that books on the
subject existed, and afraid to ask the local organist, because of bad memories of his earlier encounter with
the organist in Magdeburg
At age sixteen, however, he made a solemn promise
to his mother and to himself to give up music entirely
for the study of law. But as fate would have it, on the
way to Leipzig. where he was to enter the University, he met none other than Georg Friedrich Händel, then twenty years old, and was once again tempted by the
Muse. Their friendship was to be lifelong, but
Telemann at that time still kept his word and continued on to Leipzig. Almost unbelievably, his
roommate in the dormito ry was an amateur musician, and had hung around the room almost every musical instrument conceivable.Although Telemann resisted
the temptation as long as possible, his talents
eventually became known at St Thomas' Church, and he began to receive a regular commission from the
cantor. From that point on, the young man's career
was determined, and his fame grew until he was
known throughout Europe for his compositions in all
genres.
Soon afterwards, young Telemann was sent to study
wih a mathematician in the town of Zellerfeld, who, unknown to the tyrranical mother, was also a fine
It is thought that the Twelve Fantasies for the
Transverse Flute With out a Bass were composed
around 1732. By this time, Telemann was firmly
established in all musical actívitíes in Hamburg, which
was to remain his home for life In addition to his
duties as Cantor and as Capellmeister - at-Large for the Duke of Saxe-Eisenach and for the Margrave of Bayreuth, he was also house composer for Hamburg's famous Goose Market Opera, which lourished by the association.
The Fantasies , of which there is also a set for violin solo (and a set for viol, now lost), more or less continue the tradition set by Heinrich von Biber (1644-1704) in his solo violin works, and the Partitas,
Sonatas, and Suites for unaccompanied instruments of J. S. Bach.
Bach and Telemann were great friends--Telemann was in fact the godfather of Carl Philipp Emanuel
Bach but their styles of composition in this area differ immensely. Where Bach was fascinated by the "oldfashioned"' styles and complicated contrapuntal devices of the previous generation, Telemann was
constantly on the watch for new ideas and trends for his compositions; as a matter of fact, he and Händel often had long discussions (mostly by letter) on the subject.
Where Bach's Partita in a, BWV 1013 for flute solo is a very complicated, chromatic, carefully controlled work (although of exquisite beauty!), the Fantasies show a much more emotional, even theatrical point of view. The rapid changes of mood found throughout definitely point to the direction that opera was beginning to take by this time. Also, where Bach was really experimenting with writing for the transverse
fute (the instrument was new to him at the time that
he wrote the Partita), Telemann had an early
familiarity with the instrument, fully displayed here.
The Bach work is terribly difficult to pertorm even on
a modern flute because the violinistic. There are
almost no places to breathe in the whole piece, as if
the composer simply forgot to allow for a breath or
two in his exuberance over the instrument. In the
Telemann, however, the flute writing is beautifully
constructed, showing a full understanding of the instrument's capabilities. Even when these
capabilities are are stretched, as in the brilliant fugato
sections in the first Fantasy, or the difficult-to-
achieve effect of a French overture in the seventh
Fantasy (Alla Francese). It is always done with the
possibilities and limitations of the one-keyed
transverse flute of the 18th century in mind.
There are numerous places in the Fantasies where
only a skeleton of a melody is given, and the
performer is expected to fill in the gaps with a florid
ornamentation. Luckily, Telemann himself has left us
with examples of his own ornamentation in his great
Methodische Sonaten ("Methodical Sonatas'"). While
not intended to be taken literally, the examples of
ornamentation within are meant as a guide to the
student, and are an invaluable aid to all performers of
Baroque and Rococo music.
RANSOM WILSON
Nashville-born Paula Robison grew up in Los
Angeles and began studying the flute in
junior high school. Following two years at the
University of Southern Californina, she came
to New York to study with Julius Baker at the
Juilliard School.
Ms. Rohison was also greatly infuenced by
the flutist Marcel Moyse, with whom she
studied for five years, and by Rudolf Serkin at
Marlboro. Her association with the great
pianist led to performances and recording of
Schubert's "Introduction and Variations "
In 1964, the young artist won a top prize at
the Munich Competition Two years later she
won first prize at the Geneva International
Competition --the first American artist to
receive this honor
With the formation of the Chamber Music
Society of Lincoln Center, Ms Robison was
invited to become one of its nine resident
artists. She performs regularly with this
prestigious ensemble in New York and
Washington, D. C. She is also a frequent
performer at the Spoleto Festival, the
Marlboro Festival, in recitals across the
country, and as soloist with orchestras.
