Passacaglia: Telemann:Time:Travel

Telemann:Time:Travel, Passacaglia’s fifth album, presents seven brilliant trio-format chamber works by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1757) for recorder, transverse flute, voice flute, viola da gamba and harpsichord. The instruments combine in countless ways, with gamba and harpsichord sometimes taking exciting solo roles. Includes works from Telemann’s collections Essercizii Musici, Sonate Metodiche and Six Concerts et Six Suites.

Reviews

’The best historically informed performances and recordings recreate the spirit as well as the sound of the music and, in ‘Telemann:Time:Travel’, the now well-established group Passacaglia do just that, combining the two to make a performance of irrepressible joy. … Annabel Knight’s phosphorescent top line teases out Telemann’s rhythmic and melodic jokes, idiosyncrasies and brainteasers with such effortless energy…’
Gramophone, January 2013

‘A beautifully rendered account of Telemann’s inspired compositions for flute and recorder… Knight plays superbly, always with a keen ear for expression and line, never allowing virtuosic writing to obscure her nuanced interpretation. Throughout she is sensitively and expertly partnered by Ichise and Bigwood, the trio blending clarity with warmth of tone. Scholarly and illuminating booklet notes accompany this thoughtfully programmed and elegant offering.’
Early Music Today, February 2012

’Isn’t it amazing the range of music that is out there for three players? And all by Telemann! This lovely CD includes two sonatas for recorder and continuo, one each for voice flute and flute with continuo, two for flute, obbligato harpsichord and continuo, and one for flute, gamba and continuo… Annabel Knight, Reiko Ichise and Robin Bigwood have played together for many years now… and there is an effortlessness about the sound – no matter which combination of instruments is involved, there is never a sense of one striving to take the lead: rather the voices balance one another… If you ever hear anyone making derisory remarks about the quantity of music Telemann wrote and questioning its quality, just recommend they buy this CD – the man’s capacity for invention is nothing short of amazing, and these finely crafted performances from a star line-up should put them right!’
Brian Clark, Early Music Review, December 2011

‘Slow movements are delicately and limpidly expressive while faster ones are cast as lively dialogues… An attractive disc… that yields a spirit of intuitive musicianship.’
Nicholas Anderson, International Record Review