'One of the most interesting and versatile recorder players on the scene, and indeed one known for his Telemann' - Gramophone
Having made five previous albums of Telemann on Brilliant Classics, Erik Bosgraaf has demonstrated a special affinity with this landmark figure of the German Baroque. For his latest recording, the Dutch virtuoso has turned to sonatas, quartets and concertos which feature the recorder alongside the oboe, creating a unique survey of Telemann’s chamber output.
As Bosgraaf remarks in his own booklet essay for the album, Telemann played the recorder himself (as well as a host of other instruments) and understood from intimate practical experience both the technical limitations and possibilities of the instrument.
According to Bosgraaf, Telemann is ‘the Baroque composer who wrote the most idiomatically for the instrument.’
Central to the album is a collection of six trio sonatas, four of them cast in minor keys, exploiting the melancholic timbre of the Baroque oboe.
In the same contemplative vein is an A minor Concerto a 7 for pairs of recorders, oboes and violins plus basso continuo. The D minor Quartet TWV 43:d1 is drawn from Telemann’s effervescent collection of Tafelmusik. Lightening the mood is a sparkling G major Quartet, TWV 43:G6, alongside several other quartets from TWV:43, all featuring the lively interplay that makes Telemann so satisfying to play as well as listen to.
In making this album, Bosgraaf has been reliving his youth, and his introduction to Telemann’s music at the age of 10: his aim was to recover a high-spirited vitality to the music in performance, which complements the remarkable invention and imagination of his approach to Telemann on his previous albums.
- Erik Bosgraaf is one of the most renowned recorder players of his generation, known for his virtuosity, expressiveness, and innovative approach to early music. Born in the Netherlands, Bosgraaf has built an impressive career as both a soloist and an ensemble musician, pushing the boundaries of the recorder’s capabilities while remaining deeply rooted in historical performance practice.
- One of his most celebrated projects is his recordings of music by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), a composer who wrote extensively for the recorder. Bosgraaf’s interpretations bring out the richness and variety of Telemann’s works, demonstrating the composer’s melodic inventiveness and deep understanding of the instrument’s potential. His recordings show an exceptional ability to blend technical precision with emotional depth, capturing the playful, lyrical, and often highly expressive qualities of Telemann’s music.
- These new recordings present works with recorder and oboe: the Trio Sonatas, Quartets, Concertos a 7, including all trio sonatas for recorder and oboe.
- Bosgraaf’s recordings received unanimous praise in the international press: ‘Delightful masterpieces in one place, in technically pristine performances in the Brüggen/Dutch style, on copies of period instruments. Bosgraaf plays brilliantly, conducts his excellent 13-member ensemble, and clearly relishes the sparkling interplay with celebrated colleagues.’ Fanfare (Double Concertos, 95249)
