TELEMANN: Die Tageszeiten (The Times of the Day); Nun danket alle Gott (Now thank we all our God) – Monika Mauch, soprano/ Gerhild Romberger, alto/ Hans Jorg Mammel, tenor/ Gotthold Schwarz, bass/ Basel Madrigalists/ L’arpa festante/ Fritz Naf, conductor – Carus 83.439, 66:24 [Distr. by Albany] ****:
Telemann wrote The Times of the Day near the end of his career, in 1757 with a libretto composed especially for him by Friedrich Wilhelm Zachariae. It is concerned with the nature poetry of Brockes (1680-1747) and the hymn-like language of Klopstock (1724-1803), resulting in a canvass of four separate solo cantatas that each conclude with a chorus. Every cantata is devoted to the four hours of the day, morning, noon, evening, and night, with an extended overture depicting the sunrise as the starting point of the day. Correspondingly, the solo parts also wind down as the day progresses—soprano, alto, tenor, and ending with bass. It is a remarkable concept, quite a nice change from the plethora of seasons by Vivaldi or others, and engagingly tied in to the poetry that is so apt at describing in vivid details those particular times and why the poet is excited about them. The music is equally appealing, with colorful continuo and the addition of solo instruments like the trumpet, viola da gamba, flutes, oboes, and bassoons. It is sung radiantly by the four soloists, who with the orchestra seem to be having a whale of a good time.
The shorter Now thank we all our God is a much earlier piece though no particular date can be established, and it is based entirely on biblical texts. It is not especially noteworthy aside from being not uninteresting and displaying a fine sense of liturgical melody coupled with a lot of individual character in each movement.
All in all a very attractive disc that will surprise Telemannites and do much to win the unwashed over to his side.
— Steven Ritter
