The young French historical-instrument ensemble Amarillis is touted (or touts itself) as a successor to groups involving the reigning giants of the French early music scene, and it succeeds (unlike some of its Netherlandish contemporaries) in crafting a sound that diverges considerably from that of its mentors. The "virtuoso traveler" reference in the album's title merely indicates Telemann's peripatetic career and not the early stirrings of exotic national flavors heard in some of his music -- the program consists mostly ...
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The young French historical-instrument ensemble Amarillis is touted (or touts itself) as a successor to groups involving the reigning giants of the French early music scene, and it succeeds (unlike some of its Netherlandish contemporaries) in crafting a sound that diverges considerably from that of its mentors. The "virtuoso traveler" reference in the album's title merely indicates Telemann's peripatetic career and not the early stirrings of exotic national flavors heard in some of his music -- the program consists mostly of trio sonatas from much-recorded Essercizii Musici of 1740. The aims of this performance are stated by artistic director Héloïse Gaillard in her booklet notes (in French and English): "Telemann's skillful balance between the two treble parts prompted us to work at our phrasing," she writes. "[H]ow could we make two instruments with sonorities as dissimilar as the oboe and the harpsichord or the recorder and the violin answer one another with the same eloquence?" The musicians choose...
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