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Enviable Control of Melodic and Harmonic Tension

J. Burton | 03/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"L'Ensemble Arion, a period-instrument group, performs three quartets from "Nouveaux Quatuors en 6 Suites" (Paris, 1738) by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767).



"Arion's enviable control of melodic and harmonic tension comes from tempos that never allow the texture to become clogged, and a way of dovetailing rather than splicing phrases together to create seamless but always musically-driven momentum." (Winnipeg Free Press)



The works on this recording:



1. Quartet No. 4 in B minor for flute, violin, cello and bc, TWV 43:b2

2. Quartet No. 5 in A major for flute, violin, cello and bc, TWV 43:A3

3. Quartet No. 6 in E minor for flute, violin, cello and bc, TWV 43:e4

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Superb sonics and historically-informed recording

Gerard Tango | 03/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording is one of Ensemble Arion's early CDs, but in my opinion is perhaps the finest of the many recordings of Telemann's "Paris Quartets", an important stage in the composer's development. Room acoustics, microphonics, instrumental and performance sound, and pressing, all converge here for an imminently successful result.



(This disc is NOT "out of print". It can be had from Ensemble Arion in Montreal, Quebec/Canada, through their website)."

Francophile Telemann in top quality sound

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 07/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only thing I would wish to criticize about this CD is the fact that it is merely a single CD and therefore contains only three of Telemann's "Nouveaux Quatuors" (Paris Quartets), numbers 4 to 6. For this third CD by the Canadian Early Music ensemble Arion, recorded in 1991 in a church in Montreal, is something really special. Telemann's musical ideas are here played in such a feminine and francophile way and with such a feeling of "togetherness" within the ensemble that I had never heard the like before. And the fantastic recording technique and the wonderful acoustics (much better than on either of the first two CDs by the ensemble) cause the period instruments to "melt" together into one (although of course they are all clearly audible), yielding a first-quality listening experience to anyone who is willing to take the time and trouble to sit down and really listen.



I took the time to compare the CD with the 1964 recording by the Quadro Amsterdam (F. Brüggen, J. Schröder, A. Bylsma, G. Leonhardt). It really helped me to see the progress made within the historical performance movement. The older recording (made for Warner Music's "Das Alte Werk") is wonderful, too, but today sounds somehow old-fashioned, despite the use of period instruments, and also rather too "masculine"; perhaps it is the recording technique used, but I seemed to hear a kind of competition between the instruments, with Frans Brüggen's rather shrill flute being a little dominant, something it would never occur to me to write about Claire Guimond's more feminine style of playing which wonderfully blends in with the ensemble. Jaap Schröder's violin is also not nearly as delightful as that of Chantal Remillard, which is slightly more in the background but still manages to form a glorious unity with the sound of the whole ensemble. On the older recording, it is only Gustav Leonhardt's harpsichord playing which can really still give me a thrill.



L'Ensemble Arion adds a fifth musician, baroque cellist Christina Mahler, and has her play the continuo along with Hank Knox on the harpsichord, while Betsy MacMillan, normally the group's cellist, plays the viola da gamba. This seems to correspond more exactly with Telemann's intentions. The Quadro Amsterdam, on the other hand, only uses four musicians: the gamba part is played on the cello by Anner Bylsma, leaving Gustav Leonhardt to play the continuo on his own. - L'ensemble Arion's tempi are quite fast, but individual movements still take longer than on the Dutch recording, thus giving the music a "flowing" character which seems to suit it very well. - The stereo panorama is faultless.



If you are looking for a complete recording of the Paris Quartets, you will not be satisfied. But if you think you could be content with just three of the quartets in absolute top quality and precision, you should by no means ignore this Canadian Broadcasting Company production.



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