Concerto in C major TWV 51:C1 for treble recorder, strings and harpsichord

It
may be surprising for us now, but in his day Telemann enjoyed greater
acclaim than either Bach or Händel. His large output of music was
admired throughout Europe, and his works were often used as
compositional models by the leading theorists of the day. Händel’s
admiration was such that in 1750, he went to the trouble of sending
Telemann from London a
crate of flowers, which experts assure me are very choice and of
admirable rarity.
Sifting through Telemann’s compositions sends us on an 18th
century stylistic tour of Europe, stumbling as we go upon elements of
the French, Polish and Italian styles, which are cleverly integrated
with the traditional polyphonic writing of Telemann’s native
Germany. The resulting blend is something that the musicians of the
day perceived as new and modern, leading Telemann to be considered as
a personification of his era’s artistic ideal, les
goûts réunis, the
united styles.
The
emergence of this new style corresponded with the rise in popularity
of the recorder as the amateur instrument of choice, and Telemann
became the most important provider of music for the instrument. The
gallant
features of his C-major concerto date it to sometime after 1725, and
its popularity is proven by the existence of several copies of the
score dating from the 1740s. The four-movement concerto opens with a
bright and optimistic allegretto,
the harmonic twists and turns of the soaring melody line contrasted
in texture by the accompanying pizzicato strings. An allegro
in ritornello form follows, with distinctive, catchy syncopations and
lombardic rhythms reminiscent of Vivaldi’s late concerto movements.
This leads us into an arioso in the minor key, which embodies the
ideals of the Italian bel
canto while at the
same time hinting at the rich textures we know so well from Bach’s
church cantatas. The finale sums up the work as a grand fusion of
styles in an Italian display of virtuosity upon an expanded minuet.