I had always considered the tempo which August Wenzinger adopted for the Ouverture to Telemann's Water Music suite unduly sedate (Archiv SAPM198198, 9/62—nla); but compared with that favoured by Reinhard Goebel on this new recording of the same work it assumes an almost dance-like character. There must be a particular reason why Goebel has chosen what I can only describe as a funereal measure for the opening dotted section but I cannot for the life of me fathom it, to use a nautical expression. I'm afraid it will have few admirers, though of course the incisive, rhythmic playing here and throughout the suite is as compelling as we have come to expect from this group. Telemann wrote his splendidly varied Suite in C major, variously sub-titled Wassermusik or Hamburger Ebb' und Fluht, depending on which of two contemporary sources you consult, for the centenary junketings of the Hamburg College of Admiralty in 1723. A sequence of aquatic miniatures comprises the work ranging in tempo and in character from a Sarabande, ''the sleeping Thetis'', with its duple time imposing on a triple foundation—an engaging oft-encountered characteristic of the composer—to the robust gestures of ''Aeolus aroused''. The Cologne Musica Antiqua ensemble realize the vivid sonorities of Telemann's rich orchestration in a thrilling manner. This is true even of the Ouverture itself, where harpsichord flourishes and long-held notes in the oboe parts of the slow sections momentarily draw one's attention away from the exaggerated statelines of the tempo. Wenzinger's version of the suite was rather short of appoggiaturas but Goebel makes sure that they are liberally scattered here which is all to the good.
The second side of the record contains three concertos for pairs of treble recorders and oboes, with bassoon, strings and continuo. Only one of them, the B flat, has previously been recorded, the other two being not only new to the catalogue but also new to me. The B flat work is, perhaps, the most engaging of the three though there are not many dull moments to be found anywhere here. They are not representative of Telemann at his most inventive but they have that gracefulness, natural warmth and ease of communication which lend so much charm to his music. The practical expertise of all he players is a striking aspect of these performances. I was particularly impressed by the eloquence of the woodwind playing and the crispness of the strings and the unceasing enegy of the approach calls for applause.
To sum up, a thoroughly enjoyable release in spite of doubts raised concerning the effectiveness of performing a French overture in this way. Good presentation by Eckart Klessman, whose book on Telemann in Hamburg was published in 1981. From the point of view of sound the CD is definitely to be preferred.'