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Telemann Fantasias X 3 I have received for revew three versions of this solo set, orginally for flute. Telemann: 12 Fantasias for Solo Flute, TWV 40:2-13 This solo debut CD [Quartz - QTZ2063] is a labour of love by a distinguished flutist active in modern and period orchestras.* She plays Telemann's unique unaccompanied Fantasias on modern flute (Seeley, 1960s) but with every regard to 18 C practice; intimate tone, varied articulation, sparing vibrato and ornamentation, notably in No 9.
A Regis reissue of Heinz Holliger's version as played on modern oboe [REGIS RRC1343 - origin & date not given] has more virtuosic "in your face" playing, and his is maybe the most straightforward interpretation of the printed score, which I have obtained and found it an indispensible listening aid. See a detailed and fair review on MusicWeb. Readers and purchasers may be surprised to discover how "straight" it is on the page. Of obvious interest for oboists, Holliger includes an extra, a Suite with bassoon and harpsichord continuo, but his Fantasias are perhaps less involving than Walker's. The most sophisticated is Rachel Brown on her own label [Uppernote Recordings]. A noted authority and teacher (q.v. The Early Flute), I wonder how often she descends onto the floor, as required for her photographer C Christodoulou? This disc is one for specialists and devotees of the keyless baroque flute, which it was a pleasure to hear her teach at a recent festival. Rachel Brown is nothing if not imaginative, and she subjects Telemann's plain score to an infinity of the subtlest inflections and decorations; doing so is quite in order for the period. Her tone is quiet and intimate, and those who may have been disappointed hearing the Fantasias live in an unsuitable venue will be happy to have bought the disc afterwards [see Flute Focus review]. Peter Grahame Woolf * See too Bach Concertos with the London Conchord Ensemble, which plays also on modern instruments and with a similar philosophy to Elizabeth Walker's.
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