Telling Tales with Telemann - October

TELLING TALES WITH TELEMANN

TELEMANN Trio Sonata for Oboe and Harpsichord in E flat

AESOP The father and his sons read by Esmee Charlesworth TELEMANN Sonata for Oboe in E minor

TELEMANN Umschlinget uns, ihr sanften Friedensbande Recorded at St Giles, Cripplegate September 2021

Oboe Katharina Spreckelsen Cello Jonathan Manson Organ/harpsichord Steven Devine Organ Satoko Doi-Luck Tenor Guy Cutting

Technical director and post Production Zen Grisdale Camera operators Sophie Adams Ed Ault Vision Mix Crispin Woodhead Audio Engineer Ben Connellan Music Producer Andrew Roberts Grip Adrian Bending

We are grateful for the support of Jenny and Tim Morrison and our friends at St Giles, Cripplegate

PROGRAMME NOTES

SONATA FOR OBOE IN E MINOR, TWV 41:E6

TRIO SONATA FOR OBOE AND HARPSICHORD IN E FLAT, TWV42: ES3

Largo Allegro Grave Vivace

Largo Vivace Mesto Vivace Hamburg, where Telemann lived for most of his life, is a cosmopolitan port city, a crossroads of ideas and cultures where the latest musical innovations arrived early and were swiftly embraced. It’s no coincidence that the Beatles found their voice there. As a popular and prolific composer, Telemann was a leader of musical fashion, and he found a ready market for collections of chamber music aimed at the city’s prosperous and lively musical public.

That was the target audience for Essercizii Musici, a collection of 24 chamber works for various combinations of instruments that Telemann published in 1740. Telemann regarded himself as a particular master of the Trio Sonata and this example from the Essercizii places the oboe in dialogue with the harpsichord, across four movements that allowed both players to demonstrate their eloquence and sophistication, as well as the depth of their emotions (very fashionable in an age of Sensibility) and the liveliness of their wit. All the ingredients, in other words, for good conversation and enjoyable company.

I have nothing further to present other than to solicit from amateurs of music an opinion well-disposed toward me, as much with this as my other work, that I may remain, your most humble and obedient Telemann.

The dedication with which Telemann headed his anthology of chamber music Der getreue Musikmeister (1728-29) makes his intention absolutely clear, he aimed to please. Telemann’s home city of Hamburg was filled with prosperous and enthusiastic musical amateurs, and Telemann saw himself as craftsman, merchant, entertainer and tutor – producing numerous collections of chamber music with which amateur players could hone their own skills, and delight family and friends.

There’s no such preface to the Essercizii Musici (1740), but by that stage, Telemann probably didn’t feel it was necessary. This collection contained two solo sonatas and two Trio Sonatas apiece for each of six different instruments – so whatever the instruments available when you gathered friends for a soirée at your Hamburg townhouse, you’d find something enjoyable to play. They were adaptable too: the solo part in this oboe sonata could also be played by violin or flute, as long as the performer had nimble fingers and a gift for expressive, singing melody.

UMSCHLINGET UNS, IHR SANFTEN FRIEDENSBANDE, TWV 1:1426 Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Aria Recitative Aria In the summer of 1722 Georg Philipp Telemann was offered the post of Kantor at St Thomas’s Church in Leipzig. He turned it down. Disappointed, the Leipzig committee declared that “since the best man could not be hired, a mediocre one will have to be tolerated” - and gave the job to Johann Sebastian Bach instead.

It’s a story to make jaws drop, but it does demonstrate Telemann’s reputation as a composer of sacred music (and his lifetime total of more than 1000 cantatas makes Bach look like a part-timer).

Hamburg, where Telemann lived for much of his life, was a booming port, and he hit upon the profitable idea of publishing a complete set of church cantatas – one for each Sunday and feast day of the religious year. Der Harmonische Gottersdienst was published in 1726, and each of its 72 short cantatas used just a single singer, a solo instrumentalist and a continuo – making them performable in even the smallest churches. This is the cantata for the 17th Sunday after Trinity, and the solo soprano sings a prayer for peace by the Hamburg poet Matthaeus Wilckens, while an oboe echoes and embroiders the melody, helping its pious emotions reach the heart, as well as the head.

Richard Bratby

AESOP'S FABLE The Father and His Sons

read by Esmee Charlesworth, student at Acland Burghley School, Camden.

A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. One day, he told them to bring him a bundle of sticks.

When they had done so, he placed the bundle into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered his sons to break the bundle in pieces.

They tried with all their strength, but were not able to do it.

He next opened the bundle, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons' hands, upon which they broke the sticks easily.

He then said, "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this bundle, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies.

But if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."

BEETHOVEN OCTET IN E FLAT

BACH ST JOHN PASSION

HANDEL MESSIAH

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TRANSLATION UMSCHLINGET UNS, IHR SANFTEN FRIEDENSBANDE 1. Arie Umschlinget uns, ihr sanften Friedensbande!

Komm, einiger und stiller Gottesgeist!

Gib, dass man bloss um deines Namens Ehre sonst aber nie von Streit und Eifer hoere!

Ach, ja, mein Gott, gib Fried‘ in deinem Lande, das oede wird, wenn dieser Bund zerreisst.

2. Rezitativ Durch Zwietracht wird der groesste Staat verheeret, da Einigkeit hingegeben hebt und naehret: solang ein Haus auf gleichen Saeulen ruht, wird aller Stuerme Wut umsonst auf seine Mauern rasen; wenn aber Pfost und Grund erst auseinander gehen, wird man’s, auch ohne Sturm, von selbst zerfallen sehn.

Erwaege dies und fliehe Zank und Streit, zu einem Haupt und Heil berufne Christenheit!

Du, deren Herr ein Fuerst des Friedens heisset! der keinen Hader liebt, der Schwert und Spiess zerschmeisset.

Was wirkt es wohl, mit wilden Zaenkerei sich gegen seinen Bruder ruesten, als dass die kleine Schar der Christen zuletzt nur desto kleiner sei.

Ach! Wer der Eintracht Band mit seinem Naechsten reisst, der denke nur dabei, es sei kein Bund zugleich mit Gott zerrissen, der keine nicht fuer Freund‘ und Kinder haelt, die sich des Friedens nicht befleissen.

Drum, dieses Kleinod zu bewahren, lasst Demut, lasst Geduld und Sanftmut nunmehr fahren.

1. Aria Bind us, you gentle bonds of peace!

Come, one, still spirit of God! Grant, that through the glory of thy name alone, we never hear of schism and fanaticism!

Ah yes, my God grant peace in your land, that is made barren, if this bond is broken.

2. Recitative Through discord the greatest state is laid waste, for devoted unity lifts and sustains: for as long as a house rests on equal pillars, in vain will the rage of all storms roar at its walls; but if post and footing come apart, you will see it tumble down, even without a storm.

Consider this and run from quarrel and squabble, to one rule and rescue, Christendom professed!

You, whose Lord is called Prince of Peace!

Who loves no strife, who breaks up sword and spear.

What does it achieve, in rash bickering, to gird up against one’s own brother, other than to make the small throng of Christians only smaller still.

Ah! He who tears the bond of unity with his neighbour, let him think on, that no bond is also broken with God, who sees none as friends and children who do not strive for peace.

Therefore, to vouchsafe this jewel, let humility, let patience and tolerance hold forth.

TRANSLATION CONTINUED 3. Arie Schoenstes Kleeblatt, schmuecke mich!

Dass ich stets in Eintracht lebe; dass ich allem wiederstrebe, was dem Frieden hinderlich.

Bis wir dort auf Salems Flaechen jene Friedenspalmen brechen, Stiller Geist, dess‘ freue dich.n.

3. Aria Loveliest clover, adorn me!

So that I always live in harmony; That I resist all That stands in the way of peace.

Until, there on Salem’s planes We break the palms of peace, Quiet spirit, rejoice in that.

Translation by Crispin Woodhead

GUY CUTTING He counts amongst his musical collaborators conductors John Butt, Marcus Creed, Laurence Cummings, Steven Devine, Tom Hammond-Davies, Philippe Herreweghe, Edward Higginbottom, Robert Howarth, Paul McCreesh, Jeffrey Thomas, Reinoud Van Mechelen, Owen Rees and Jos van Veldhoven. He is particularly in demand for his interpretations of Bach and the other baroque masters.

British tenor Guy Cutting was a chorister and later a choral scholar at New College, Oxford where he gained a first-class degree in Music. In 2013 he became the inaugural recipient of the American Bach Soloists' Jeffrey Thomas Award and he is currently a Rising Star of the Enlightenment.

His engagements have included appearances with The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Academy of Ancient Music, Collegium Vocale Gent, Gabrieli Consort, Choir of New College, Ludus Baroque, Le Concert Lorrain, Monteverdi Choir, Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht, De Nederlandse Bachvereniging, A Nocte Temporis, the Oxford Bach Soloists, Swedish Baroque Orchestra, Real Filharmonia de Galicia, American Bach Soloists, Ensemble Cantatio and The Instruments of Time and Truth.

Guy is a member of Damask Vocal Quartet and he has recorded Scarlatti and Handel on the Avie label, Charpentier, Couperin, Blow and Mozart for Novum and Gabriel Jackson Passion for Delphian. Film projects include Bach Cantatas with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Steven Devine and Schubert with Kristian Bezuidenhout.

ABOUT THE OAE “Not all orchestras are the same” Over three decades ago, a group of inquisitive London musicians took a long hard look at that curious institution we call the Orchestra, and decided to start again from scratch. They began by throwing out the rulebook. Put a single conductor in charge? No way. Specialise in repertoire of a particular era? Too restricting. Perfect a work and then move on? Too lazy. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was born.

And as this distinctive ensemble playing on period-specific instruments began to get a foothold, it made a promise to itself. It vowed to keep questioning, adapting and inventing as long as it lived. Those original instruments became just one element of its quest for authenticity. Baroque and Classical music became just one strand of its repertoire. Every time the musical establishment thought it had a handle on what the OAE was all about, the ensemble pulled out another shocker: a Symphonie Fantastique here, some conductor-less Bach there. All the while, the Orchestra’s players called the shots.

In some small way, the OAE changed the classical music world too. It challenged those distinguished partner organisations and brought the very best from them, too.

Symphony and opera orchestras began to ask it for advice. Existing period instrument groups started to vary their conductors and repertoire. New ones popped up all over Europe and America.

And so the story continues, with ever more momentum and vision. The OAE’s series of nocturnal Night Shift performances have redefined concert parameters. Its association at London’s Kings Place has fostered further diversity of planning and music-making. The ensemble has formed the bedrock for some of Glyndebourne’s most ground-breaking recent productions.

In keeping with its values of always questioning, challenging and trailblazing, in September 2020, the OAE became the resident orchestra of Acland Burghley School, Camden. The residency – a first for a British orchestra – allows the OAE to live, work and play amongst the students of the school.

Of the instrumentalists, many remain from those brave first days; many have come since. All seem as eager and hungry as ever. They’re offered ever greater respect, but continue only to question themselves.

Because still, they pride themselves on sitting ever so slightly outside the box. They wouldn’t want it any other way. ©Andrew Mellor

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WE MOVED INTO A SCHOOL A little over a year ago we took up permanent residence at Acland Burghley School in Camden, North London. The residency – a first for a British orchestra – allows us to live, work and play amongst the students of the school.

Three offices have been adapted for our administration team, alongside a recording studio and library.

We use the Grade II listed school assembly hall as a rehearsal space, with plans to refurbish it under the school’s ‘A Theatre for All’ project. The school isn't just our landlord or physical home. Instead, it allows us to build on twenty years of work in the borough through OAE’s long-standing partnership with Camden Music. Having already worked in eighteen of the local primary schools that feed into ABS, the plans moving forward are to support music and arts across the school into the wider community. Our move underpins our core ‘enlightenment’ mission of reaching as wide an audience as possible.

A similar project was undertaken in 2015 in Bremen, Germany. The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie moved into a local comprehensive school in a deprived area and the results were described as “transformational”, with improved academic performance, language skills, mental health and IQ scores; reputational benefits; greater interest in and engagement with music among pupils; strengthened links between school, orchestra and community; and even, according to some of the musicians who took part, an improvement in the Kammerphilharmonie’s playing.

Margaret Faultless, OAE leader and violinist, said: “The members of the Bremen Kammerphilharmonie said their experience actually improved them as an orchestra and I think the same will happen to us over the next five or so years, and it will remind all of us of the reasons we make music, which are sometimes easy to forget, especially in our strange and troubled times.” Continues Margaret: “I am certainly looking forward to learning from the young people at Acland Burghley and in turn introducing them to the joys of our music and music-making.”

The move has been made possible with a leadership grant of £120,000 from The Linbury Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts.

OAE EDUCATION A PROGRAMME TO INVOLVE, EMPOWER AND INSPIRE Over the past twenty years OAE Education has grown in stature and reach to involve thousands of people nationwide in creative music projects. Our participants come from a wide range of backgrounds and we pride ourselves in working flexibly, adapting to the needs of local people and the places they live.

The extensive partnerships we have built up over many years help us engage fully with all the communities where we work to ensure maximum and lasting impact. We take inspiration from the OAE's repertoire, instruments and players.

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