Often seen as playing second fiddle to his close friend Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann is making a spirited comeback and taking his place among the best composers of his day. In the manner of a Vivaldi production, Telemann's abundant work can be intimidating in its sheer quantity. A multiple instrumentalist, violinist, conductor, ensemble performer, Gottfried von der Goltz has dug up this group of six sonatas referred to as the Frankfurt Sonatas, named for the town where they were published in 1715. Leaving the Court of Bach's native Eisenach, Telemann set up in Frankfurt in 1712 as the chapelmaster of the Franciscan church. He would become one of the richest citizens of the town thanks to the ample emoluments he received in this post.
These six sonatas are written in "stilo francese", all divided into four movements: a solemn overture followed by a faster second movement, and then a cantabile finishing with a lively, virtuoso finale. This strict schema gives range to a range of sonatas, which vary widely in their writing style and steer clear of the then-fashionable trio-sonata form, offering a tremendous free rein to the lead instrument. They are only equalled by Bach's sonatas for flute and violin. © François Hudry/Qobuz