Many shades of Browning

What comes to mind if I mention the words ‘the leaves be green’ to you? Do you think of nature? Or maybe a melody pops into your head?

Perhaps the most famous piece of music with this name is by William Byrd - a work which can bring joy or strike terror into the heart of musicians. Byrd’s set of 20 variations on this simple 4 phrase melody is chock full of creative ideas, along with a myriad of syncopated cross rhythms. But did you know that many other composers have written their own interpretation of this concept? Today’s blog explores a selection of these - not a comprehensive catalogue, but more a romp through some of my favourites!

What is ‘The Leaves Be Green’?

During the Renaissance the tune, Browning, was a popular melody. Based on a poem with the following words, it celebrates the coming of autumn and has inspired many composers to write their own take on it.

The leaves be green,

The nuts be brown,

They hang so high

They will not come down.

This is the popular melody associated with these lyrics:

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Some composers chose to name their pieces Browning, while others plumped for The Leaves Be Green in recognition of the poem’s words.

Why so many versions?

It wasn’t unusual during the Renaissance for composers to write pieces based on popular tunes of the day. For instance, Jacob Van Eyck wrote a collection of 150 solo recorder pieces, Der Fluyten Lusthof, most of which are sets of variations on folk songs, dance tunes, psalms and popular songs.

Of course, this concept wasn’t confined to the Renaissance - think of it like pop bands today recording cover versions of familiar songs - it’s their way to benefit from a song’s popularity while making their own mark. During my research I’ve found countless more reinterpretations of The Leaves Be Green from beyond the Renaissance and you’ll meet some of them here. No doubt some will already be familiar to you, but I hope others will open up new musical vistas.

William Byrd - The Leaves Be Green

SAATB recorders, available in many different editions.

To my mind this is the granddaddy of the genre and offers endless challenges to anyone who tackles it. The Browning theme appears no fewer than twenty times, working through a variety of keys along the way. Modern editions generally have a 6/4 time signature but don’t let that fool you into expecting a predictable, regular rhythm! Byrd plays endlessly with the meter, bringing in rhythms which feel more like 3/2 and even 12/8, plus a stretch with bubbling strings of triplets for good measure. Through the endless cross rhythms the Browning theme acts as musical glue, holding the voices together while they talk across each other and you’ll notice a new interaction or detail each time you play or listen to this.

To complement the theme of this week’s blog post I’ve recorded my own playalong consort video of Byrd’s The Leaves Be Green. I can’t claim to achieve the same levels of perfection as the Flanders Recorder Quartet, but it gives you the opportunity to have a go yourself. Of course it also means you can restart or rewind as many times as you wish as you get to grips with the complex rhythms! I’ve also created my own edition of the piece, which irons out one or two of the notational wrinkles which can make some other editions tricky to read.

Heather Wastie - Browning for Four

SATB recorders, published by Hawthorns Music RA125. To order a copy contact Hawthorns Music here.

Alongside the various Renaissance versions of The Leaves be Green I’ve discovered a number of contemporary reinterpretations, including this one by Heather’s Wastie. Heather’s website describes her as a singer, songwriter, poet, actor, humourist, entertainer and much more besides. She composed this particular piece during one of her courses at Pendrell Hall in Wolverhampton, although it remained unfinished for some time after that. The impetus to complete the work ultimately came from the 40th wedding anniversary of Ken and Kath Smith, two of her course members. Although it’s a 20th century interpretation of the theme, there are still some echoes of the Medieval and Renaissance period, and you can clearly hear Kath and Ken dancing with their guests later in the piece.

If you’ve not played any contemporary Brownings before and fancy dipping you toe in the water this is a really good place to start. it lies easily beneath the fingers and has some beautiful melodic lines.

Henry Stoning - Browning My Dear

SAATB recorders - music and playalong video available via the button:

Henry Stoning is one of those composers who has today been all but forgotten. However, John Hawkins, the 18th century writer on music, described him as well known in his day and he was active during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. We don’t even know his dates of birth or death - the resources I’ve found simply describe him as having flourished around 1600!

Like the Wastie version of Browning, this is a great place to start exploring. Stoning’s version is concise and pretty straightforward to play, while allowing everyone a slice of the action too. I shared my playalong consort version of this as a subscriber video in 2021 but I’ve discovered a couple of delightful commercial recordings too.

John Baldwin - A Browninge of Three Voices

AAB recorders - score and parts available to download from Serpent Publications.

Baldwin’s working life was spent as a singer, first as a tenor lay clerk at St George's Chapel, Windsor (from 1575) and later as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, where he became a paid member of staff from 1598. Today he is perhaps best known as the copyist of My Ladye Nevells Booke, a collection of 42 keyboard pieces by William Byrd. As a composer he wrote both vocal and instrumental music, including this Browning for three voices.

Baldwin’s version of Browning is a gem - full of rhythmic interest, with some pretty exotic key changes for music of this period. The only edition I’ve discovered of the music is unbarred and the treble parts need to be played an octave higher than written. Neither of these are insurmountable problems, but I am mulling over the idea of creating a modern edition at playing pitch and with barlines - watch this space! in the meantime, you can enjoy these two recordings!

Klaus Miehling - Browning Suite Op.148

AATB recorders, published by Edition Walhall, FEM132.

This is another contemporary take on the Browning theme discovered while I was researching this blog post. A German harpsichordist, composer and musicologist born in 1963, Miehling was a fresh name to me. He’s certainly a prolific composer (with over 1200 works to his name) and his output includes music for a vast array of instrumental and choral groups. This Browning Suite is one of a number of works which include the recorder and definitely harks back to an earlier time.

Described as a motet for recorder quartet, it is reminiscent of a Baroque orchestral suite, with a French overture followed by five dance movements and a finale. Bach would have recognised this format well, with the dances including a Courante, Sarabande and Bourrée. The musical style will be be familiar to anyone who enjoy Baroque music, albeit with the occasional modern harmonic twist!

A short extract from Klaus Miehling’s Browning Suite

Elway Bevin - Browning

ATB recorders - music and playalong video can be found via the button:

Elway Bevin’s version of Browning is one of my all time favourites. He makes amazing use of minimal resources, creating wonderful melodic and rhythmic interactions between the parts. The excitement gradually builds, climaxing in a flurry of quavers towards the end of the piece. Perhaps the most cunning section though begins at bar 57 where the Browning theme appears in the tenor part in a clear 3/2 rhythm. Either side, the treble and bass lines bounce along in 6/4 rhythms, but instead of working in tandem, Bevin places the treble and bass rhythm patterns a beat adrift from each other!

I recorded this version as one of my playalong consort videos last summer and it was such fun to try and capture the feeling of competition between the musical lines.

Steve Marshall - The Leaves be Blue

SATTBB recorders, published by May Hill Edition, MHE 20706

Most composers stick to the original lilting meter for their take on Browning, but there’s no rule to say this has to be the way. Steve Marshall’s musical background is in jazz, so it’s no surprise he should follow this route when he used the Browning theme. I’ve long been a fan of The Leaves be Blue, although recorder players aren’t always completely at ease with its Latin rhythms. I asked Steve what inspired him to write this piece and this is what he told me:

“In, I believe, 2005 the much-missed Andrew Melville took a well-known Pavan by John Dowland and transformed it - believe it or not - into a Tango. I played in the first performance of that Lachrimae Tango and, the very next day, I played in a performance of The Leaves be Green by Elway Bevin. The urge to transform that marvellous piece in some unlikely way was irresistible, and so I changed it into a rumba-inspired piece in 4/4. This was not a lucrative commission, but one of many rather quirky pieces I have written over the years, in order to exercise my compositional chops or (more likely) as a bit of fun!”

To my surprise, there don’t seem to be any recordings of The Leaves be Blue, so I figured I’d make my own!

William Inglott - The Leaves Bee Greene

Five voices, score available to download here. A recorder arrangement by Paul Clark is also available, Clark Collection CC128.

The first Elizabethan age was a golden era for music and there are so many composers from that period who are almost unknown today. William Inglott is one such name, although history suggests he wasn’t so obscure in his lifetime. He worked at both Hereford and Norwich Cathedrals as organist, replacing Thomas Morley at the latter. One of the pillars at Norwich Cathedral is decorated with the following memorial for Inglott, restored at the expense of William Croft (Master of the King’s Music) in the 18th century.

Here Willyam Inglott Organist doth rest,
Whose arte in musique this cathedrall blest,
For descant most, for voluntary all
He past: on organ, songe and virginall:
He left this life at age of sixtie seaven;
And now 'mongst angells all sings saint in heaven;
His fame flies farr, his name shal never die;
See art and age here crowne his memory

Today only a handful of Inglott’s pieces remain, including this and one other from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. This was a collection of nearly 300 keyboard pieces, including works by William Byrd, Giles Farnaby and Thomas Morley - you may be interested to see the original keyboard version of the Leaves Bee Greene here.

Once again, I’ve found a couple of different recordings for you to enjoy - one played on the organ (with added percussion!) and the second on harpsichord.

Clement Woodcock - Browning My Dear

Five voices, SATTB - Score and parts available to download. Also published by London Pro Musica, EML112

To complete my selection of Brownings from the Renaissance, we have another relatively unknown composer - Clement Woodcock. Like Inglott, Woodcock spent much of his life as a church musician, working as a lay clerk at Both King’s College, Cambridge and Canterbury Cathedral. He also spent a good deal of time in my home town, Chichester, working as Cathedral organist and master of the Choristers. I taught the recorder at Chichester’s Cathedral school for nearly two decades, so it’s rather pleasing too think that we both spent countless hours working and making music in the same Cathedral, albeit four centuries apart!

Woodcock’s version of Browning is short and sweet and fits beautifully on recorders, although you’ll need to read the second part up an octave to play it on the treble recorder.

Sue Handscombe - The Leaves be Turning, the Nuts be Brown

SATB recorders, published by Peacock Press, P544

To bring us full circle, my final version of Browning came as a result of an experience of playing Byrd’s The Leaves Be Green. Sue told me the impetus to write this came from an experience preparing the Byrd for a golden wedding celebration. Things didn’t go to plan in rehearsals, with Byrd’s complex rhythms often tripping the musicians up. Instead Sue decided to write her own jazzy interpretation of the Browning theme and this is the result. As for the golden wedding celebrations - all was well in the end and the group made it through the performance without getting tangled up!

Sue’s the Leaves be Turning, The Nuts be Brown, has its own rhythmic intricacies, altogether different from Byrd’s, but I can guarantee you’ll have great fun playing it!

Which Browning is your favourite?

There we have ten different interpretations of this iconic melody, and there are more I could have included besides. Which is your favourite? Or maybe you have a penchant for one composed by someone else? Do share your thoughts in the comments below - it’ll be fascinating to see if you come up with versions I haven’t yet come across!

Sounding Pipes, Edition 2

Easy access to streamed music is one of those things we take for granted these days. But it wasn’t so long ago that if you wanted to listen to a particular piece of music you had to go out and buy the CD, or at least borrow it from your local library. One of the things I love about our access to music now is the way it can take you down all sorts of rabbit holes, bringing fresh discoveries.

It seemed about time I created another of my Sounding Pipes playlists, so over recent weeks I’ve been rummaging on YouTube and elsewhere for gems to share with you. My choices are all linked to the recorder in some shape or form, even if the music isn’t entirely played on our favourite instrument.

G.F.Handel - O ruddier than the cherry from Acis and Galatea

William Christie and Les Arts Florissants

The Love of Acis and Galatea by Alexandre Charles Guillemot

Handel described Acis and Galatea as a “little opera” in a letter to a friend during its composition, but it’s since been called a serenata, masque and oratorio by others. However you wish to classify it, Acis and Galatea is one of Handel’s most enduringly popular works. Written in 1718 while working for the 1st Duke of Chandos in Cannons, north London, this was Handel’s first dramatic work in the English language. It features three major characters - the shepherd Acis, Galatea (a nymph) and Polyphemus, a monstrous giant, who features in this aria. Having just sung about his jealous love of Galatea (“I rage, I melt, I burn”) he then bursts into song with “O ruddier than the cherry”, accompanied by strings and a sopranino recorder!

I was lucky enough to play recorder in a performance of this while studying for my A level exams and I’ve had a soft spot for the work since then. Handel’s juxtaposition of the tiniest of recorders alongside the bass voice surely couldn’t fail to make anyone smile!

Gordon Jacob - Suite for recorder and strings

Annabel Knight and the Maggini quartet - Gordon Jacob Chamber Music with Recorder

The search for a modern recorder concerto which can hold its own against other instruments came to the fore some years ago when Charlotte Barbour-Condini and Sophie Westbrooke both made it to the concerto final of the BBC Young Musician competition in quick succession. Finding a work for recorder which contrasts favourably with large scale Romantic concertos is a challenge, especially as our instrument naturally suits a more intimate setting. Sophie chose to perform Gordon Jacob’s Suite for recorder and strings, albeit augmented with wind instruments (an arrangement made by an old school friend of mine, David Knotts as it happens).

This is a work I love very much and had the honour of performing in Chichester Cathedral many years ago. Here I’ve chosen Annabel Knight’s performance which goes back to its roots, accompanied by the more modest forces of a string quartet. I’ve always had a soft spot for this beautiful Lament, which combines a doleful melodic line and some exquisite string harmonies. Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) wrote several works including the recorder, but was adept at creating beautifully crafted music for any instrument. His catalogue includes concertos for no fewer than sixteen different instruments! Reading about him, I was fascinated to learn he studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Villiers Stanford and Herbert Howells while at the Royal College of Music - a real who’s who of composers. Later in life he returned to the RCM as a teacher himself and Malcolm Arnold was one of his students - another composer who later wrote works for the recorder.

Samuel Scheidt - Canzon on O Nachbar Roland

Seldom Sene - Concerto Barocco

The Canzon (or canzona) was the forerunner to the sonata. Ultimately the sonata matured into a multi-movement work, but during the Renaissance the canzona instead featured shorter sections whose tempo and metre varied, while fundamentally remaining a single movement work. Sometimes, as in this case, they were based upon well known melodies or chord progressions.

I first encountered O Nachbar Roland at the Recorder Summer School when I was a teenager. Five of us worked on it in our spare time, with a plan to perform it in the students’ concert at the end of the week. During rehearsals we worked diligently on the transitions between the sections, but also made a plan for what we might do if anyone came unravelled due to nerves. Ultimately our cunning plan was vital as no fewer than three of us came adrift in one section. Unperturbed, we regrouped at the next tempo change and continued as if nothing untoward had happened!

I’m pleased to say Seldom Sene’s performance of O Nachbar Roland is altogether more polished than ours. I love its exploratory nature at the start - each part coming in tentatively until there’s sufficient group momentum for a definitive tempo to be set. While reading up about this piece I discovered a connection I’d never considered before. O Nachbar Roland was a popular tune in the Renaissance and many composers wrote pieces based upon it. However, I hadn’t previously realised its connection with Lord Peregrine Bertie Willoughby, a noted member of the 16th century aristocracy. His name may not be immediately familiar to you, but you may well know of him through William Byrd’s Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home. The melody is a near doppelgänger of O Nachbar Roland, and was composed in Willoughby’s honour when he returned to a hero’s welcome in London after his victory in the Siege of Bergen in 1588.

Gioacchino Rossini - Overture: The Italian Girl in Algiers

Berlin Recorder Orchestra, conducted by Simon Borutski

When I encountered my first recorder orchestra in 1991 the sound tended to be a rather top heavy affair. The larger bass recorders were still relatively unusual in the UK and it was difficult to achieve a really pleasing balance of sound. How things have changed in 30 years! Today it’s not unusual to have half a dozen contrabasses in such ensembles and the number of even larger recorders is gradually growing too.

In recent months YouTube has offered me a steady stream of recordings by the Berlin Recorder Orchestra and I just had to share this one with you. They seem to have hit a sweet spot in terms of balance with a small forest of big basses in the back row, and relatively few of the high instruments. The result is a wonderfully mellifluous tone, complemented by some fantastic precision playing.

The Romantic period isn’t an obvious one to raid for recorder orchestra music, but this fabulous overture by Rossini is just a joy to listen to. I’ve played in and conducted it myself with different groups (albeit in a different arrangement) and it’s so exciting to be a be part of the excitement and drive which is intrinsic to Rossini’s compositional style. After you’ve watched this video, do have a rummage through the BRO’s YouTube channel because you’re guaranteed to find some more recorder orchestra gems there.

J.S. Bach Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041

Andrew Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music - Bach Solo and Double Violin Concertos

The recorder connection with this piece may be a little tenuous, but this particular album is one of my absolute favourites and is too good not to share. The first movement of this concerto appears as the centrespread of the June issue of The Recorder Magazine, in an arrangement by James Howard Young. Bach is always a challenge to play, as his music rarely takes into account the need for wind players to breathe. That small wrinkle aside, James’ transcription fits the recorder remarkably well and I have a copy of it on my music stand right now - an excellent workout for both brain and fingers. If you’d like to try the Bach for yourself but don’t have a copy of the June Recorder Magazine you can download the music by clicking on the button below.

This recording is 25 years old now, but I adore its energy and Manze’s effortless musicianship. These days he’s more likely to be found conducting orchestras, in repertoire which stretches well beyond the Baroque, but I recommend you listen to the whole album and explore his other recordings too.

Charlie Parker - Ornithology

Lucie Horsch and Fuse - Origins

My last playlist finished with a little frippery, so it seemed appropriate to do the same this time. This track comes from Lucie Horsch’s newest album, Origins, which will be released next month. A number of behind the scenes videos are already available on YouTube though and it’s wonderful to see her delving into this classic jazz number by Charlie Parker. While many of us enjoy jazz, it’s often played badly by recorder players. This always strikes me as a curiosity because so much of the Renaissance and Baroque music we play demands a similar spontaneity in its performance. I love Lucie’s relaxed demeanour here and it’s great to see the interaction between her and the ensemble Fuse.

Hopefully there’ll be something for everyone there. If you’ve discovered a wonderful new recording recently why not share it in the comments below for us all to enjoy - there’s a world of new and exciting music out so let’s explore it together!

Sounding pipes – musical explorations

What do you listen to most when you’re travelling? When I’m on the road I’m an avid listener of podcasts, but when I begin to flag music becomes my preferred choice. There’s nothing quite like singing along loudly to a piece of music to wake you up and make the miles pass more quickly!

On recent journeys I’ve taken to putting the choice of music in the hands of Apple Music (other music providers are available!), telling the app on my phone to pick the music for me. I’ve always enjoyed a very varied listening diet – one day it’ll be Bach, followed maybe by a Brahms Symphony, some Byrd polyphony or popular music by the Beatles or Robbie Williams. The app on my phone has been learning from this and when I put it in charge it offers me an equally eclectic mix. This has proved to be a wonderful ground for discovering fresh music.

I’ve made some amazing discoveries during these listening sessions and it struck me you might be interested in some of the gems I’ve come across. The result is a new series of occasional blog posts called Sounding Pipes, where I’ll share some of the (mostly) recorder related recordings I’ve encountered and enjoyed. Of course, those long journeys in the car are only the beginning. Sometimes I’ll seek out a piece of music again once I’m home, taking me down unforeseen paths to other fascinating repertoire, or reminding me of works I’d forgotten about.

I hope you enjoy these listening suggestions and that perhaps they lead you to new discoveries of your own. All of this week’s pieces are available on YouTube to watch or listen to, but wherever possible I’ll also include details of the albums they come from so you can explore further if you wish.

Happy listening!

J.S.Bach – Ebarme dich, mein Gott from the St. Matthew Passion

Lucie Horsch – Baroque Journey (Decca 2019)

This is where the inspiration for this series originated, as this piece popped up on my playlist, performed by Dutch recorder player Lucie Horsch. I first encountered this heart breakingly beautiful aria when I performed in a St. Matthew Passion on the Isle of Wight many years ago. I clearly recall the exquisite combination of solo violin and countertenor voice and it remains my absolute favourite from the most famous of Bach’s Passions. Purists may not approve of the way Lucie Horsch swaps the vocal line for a recorder, but it’s hard not to forgive this change when she plays it so beautifully.

Following the breadcrumbs laid by Lucie, I returned to Bach’s original scoring and made a second, even more amazing discovery. Searching on YouTube, I happened upon the Netherlands Baroque Society’s project, All of Bach. This project aims to perform and record the entirety of Bach’s compositional output, making it all available to watch free of charge – an astonishing prospect in every way! Among the pieces already recorded is a performance of the St. Matthew Passion from 2015. The whole Passion is available online, but the performance of Ebarme dich, mein Gott, featuring violinist Shunske Sato and singer Tim Mead is, to my mind, even more glorious than Lucie’s one. While there are no recorders in the original, I decided to share this with you too as I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!

Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger – Pavan No.2 on Seven Notes

B-Five Recorder Consort & Sofie Vanden Eynde (lute) – The Soule of Heaven (Coviello Classics COV92108)

I have to credit my Dad for pointing me in the direction of this particular recording. He heard this Pavan by Ferrabosco on the radio recently and asked if I knew it. While I was certainly familiar with Ferrabosco I didn’t know this particular Pavan and what a find it is! The B-Five Recorder Consort play it on a wonderful set of low Renaissance recorders and the lush tones are so enchanting. The addition of lute (played by Sofie Vanden Eynde) enhances the texture, balancing the richness of the recorder tone. Needless to say I’ve downloaded the whole album and it’ll be a welcome soothing influence after a busy day!

Sour Cream performing a selection of music for three recorders

Frans Brüggen, Kees Boeke & Walter van Hauwe

I discovered this video while rummaging on YouTube for recorder trio music. My eye was caught by the inclusion of Upon Ut Re Mi Fa by John Baldwine, but this 36 minute programme contains an eclectic mix. When this was recorded in 1981 at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich, the centre had been open for just three years, designed by the then largely unknown architect Norman Foster. The building is home to an enormous art collection, spanning some 5000 years of human activity, and the music reflects this variety.

Sour Cream was formed by Frans Brüggen, Kees Boeke & Walter van Hauwe with the intention of commissioning and performing avant garde music recorder music, but their repertoire expanded way beyond that. Rather than being a straight performance to camera, the trio’s music is accompanied by an eclectic cinematic approach, using green screen techniques and even a surreal Monty Pythonesque section where they interact with the works of art and then fall asleep. I can’t but feel they had great fun making this! The music may not all be to your taste, but there’s bound to be something you’ll love. The final Bach Allegro (the Preludio from his Violin Partita in E minor) is an absolute tour de force of technique and precision.

If this quirky compilation intrigues you I suggest you explore Sour Cream’s iconic album The Passion of Reason (recorded in 1993/4 & rereleased by Glossa records 2013) which includes an equally varied repertoire from five centuries.

Incidentally, if you’re interested in hearing the original violin version of the Bach Preludio which ends this selection, I can recommend this performance by Viktoria Mullova. If you fancy the ultimate workout, Frans Brüggen also made his own transcription of the Preludio for solo recorder which is published by Moeck, along with a selection of other movements from the Violin Partitas. If you choose to try it for yourself be prepared to do lots of scale and breathing practice!

Telemann Concerto in E minor for recorder and flute

Frans Brüggen (recorder), Frans Vester (flute) & Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra

When I was at music college I regularly used to visit Leadenhall Market in the city of London to browse the CDs at Farringdon Records (a wonderful shop which sadly no longer exists). It was on one such visit that I discovered this recording and it became a firm favourite. The playing style may not be as ‘authentic’ as some (played on modern instruments rather than Baroque copies) but I was blown away by the sheer energy of the performance. To this day the vivacity of the final movement of the concerto is simply irresistible

If this recording appeals to you as much as it did to my youthful self I recommend exploring the whole album which features four other concertos and overtures by Telemann.

New Zealand Traditional - Wellerman

Ralf Bienioschek - recorders, guitar, percussion, melodica

And now, as they say, for something completely different! Early in 2021 a new craze emerged on TikTok and other social media sites, spurred by Scottish singer Nathan Evans’ performances of sea shanties. Perhaps the best known of these is Soon May the Wellerman Come, and it wasn’t long before the recorder world had its own version. One of my subscribers, pointed me to this performance by Ralf Bienioschek and it’s absolutely infectious in its drive and energy. He’s recorded several other multitrack videos of equally unlikely repertoire for recorder (Billy Eilish’s Bad Guy for instance) and there are links to these on Ralf’s website. A big thank you to Jean for leading me here and many apologies if this results in a persistent earworm!

If this whets your appetite to play Wellerman for yourself Ralf has published the sheet music for his arrangement here.

So there you have my first Sounding Pipes playlist - I hope you found something new and enjoyable within. If you have favourite recordings you’d like to share with us all please do leave a comment below - I hope this may offer an opportunity for us all to explore and listen further!

Composer focus – Georg Philipp Telemann

Who’s your favourite recorder composer? Are you a Baroque aficionado, or a fan of contemporary music? One of the things I love about my work is being able to help the musicians I meet discover new music and to enable them to play familiar pieces better. From time to time I’ll take a look at composers and the music they’ve written for the recorder, making suggestions for recordings you may enjoy along the way. For the first of these occasional posts I decided to begin with someone who played the recorder himself and wrote effortlessly for the instrument – Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767).

I’ll concentrate today on Telemann’s solo recorder sonatas, but our favourite instrument features in much more of his music so I’ll return to that in a later post. Even if you don’t often play solo repertoire yourself, I encourage you to read on as I hope you’ll discover something new and I’ve chosen lots of wonderful performances for you to listen to.

~ ~ ~

Telemann may naturally spring to mind as a great composer to us, but he hasn’t always enjoyed universal popularity or been viewed with such esteem. By the nineteenth century he was dismissed by many musicologists as a polygraph – writing too much music, with quantity outweighing quality. The 1911 edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica referred to him very negatively in comparison with Bach and Handel, talking about "the vastly inferior work of lesser composers such as Telemann". Damning words, but if the writer of that sentence could have spoken to Telemann’s contemporaries, he’d have heard of a man whose musical expertise was very highly considered. He knew both J.S.Bach and Handel well and became godfather to Bach’s son, Carl Philipp Emanuel.

Telemann was self-taught in music and, like many 18th century musicians, was a multi-instrumentalist, playing the recorder, flute, oboe, violin, viola da gamba, double bass and other instruments too. His family made it clear they wished him to follow a different career, so initially he went into the law, later gravitating back to life as a full-time musician.

He was certainly prolific, composing over 3000 works – over three times the output of J.S.Bach! Sadly around half of these pieces have since been lost, but that still leaves us with a vast and varied repertoire. He loved absorbing different influences, bringing French, Italian, German and even Polish national styles into his writing. Composition evidently came easily to Telemann – his contemporary and friend Handel, once jokingly said that he "could write a church piece in eight parts with the same expedition another would write a letter".

The largest part of Telemann’s working life (1721-1767) was spent in Hamburg, where he was employed to write music for all five of the city’s churches. It’s reputed that his salary was about three times what Bach was paid for a similar role in Leipzig so the city evidently appreciated his talents. In 1722 a search was made for a new Kantor at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche and Telemann was first choice for the job. Ultimately Hamburg city council wouldn’t release him from his duties there, so he had to decline the job and the post was filled by Bach – although apparently he wasn’t even the second choice for the job!

Musician and businessman

Not only was Telemann a wonderful composer, but he was also a canny businessman. He made a point of pursuing exclusive publication rights for his works, setting an important early precedent regarding music as the intellectual property of the composer. Between 1725 and 1740 he published more than 40 volumes of music, which were widely distributed across Europe. One of these publishing ventures is particularly relevant to his recorder output as we’ll see later.

The recorder sonatas

It was common for Baroque composers to write sonatas which mention the recorder in their title pages. With many, they were aimed at as wide a market as possible, often listing the music as being suitable for two or three instruments, often a combination of recorder, flute, oboe or violin. Telemann did this too (for instance his Sonata in F minor can be played on recorder or bassoon) and no doubt this broadened his sales opportunities. But one gets a definite sense while playing his sonatas that the music was really intended for the recorder, using the full range of the instrument and playing to its strengths. In contrast, Handel’s recorder sonatas are beautiful, but they rarely utilise the higher notes and would just as easily sit on the flute or violin. In contrast, Telemann, as a recorder player himself, explores the instrument’s possibilities more fully and even specifies particular articulation in some works.

Telemann’s recorder sonatas come in three collections (plus a lone sonata which stands alone), numbering nine in total. There are other collections too, such as the Methodical Sonatas, originally composed for flute, which can be stolen by recorder players. But ‘borrowing’ flute repertoire usually requires transposing the music up a minor third (common practice by 18th century recorder players) and this can compromise the ease of playing because you sometimes end up in less comfortable keys. For the purposes of this blog post I’ll concentrate on the ‘pure’ recorder sonatas, but if you’re looking for further music to inspire and stretch you I also recommend the Methodical Sonatas. Each sonata begins with a slow movement which shows both the plain melodic lines and Telemann’s own florid ornamentation. they’re a wonderful lesson on the extremes one can explore while embellishing Baroque music and contain some exquisite music.

Der getreue Music-Meister

In 1728 Telemann came up with the idea for a music periodical – the first of its kind. Every two weeks he would publish a new ‘Lection’ or lesson, containing freshly composed music.

The title page is inscribed thus:

“The faithful Music-Master, who intends to supply all kinds of musical pieces, as much for singers as for instrumentalists, for various voices and nearly all customary instruments, and also moral, operatic, and other arias and TRIOS, DUETS, SOLOS etc. SONATAS, OUVERTURES, etc., and also containing FUGUES, COUNTERPOINTS, CANONS, etc. hence almost everything which occurs in music, intended to be played according to the Italian, French, English, Polish, and as much serious as lively and entertaining manner, every 14 days in one LECTION by Telemann.”

Der getreue Music-Meister stretched to no new fewer than twenty five editions, published during 1728 and 1729. Telemann showed a streak of publishing genius here, including a variety of single movements in each edition. This meant that if you wanted to play a complete sonata you had to keep up your subscription to collect all the movements!

The first piece in Telemann’s Der getreue Music-Meister is the Recorder Sonata in F

Dotted through Der getreue Music-Meister you’ll find four solo sonatas for recorder, as well as Telemann’s wonderful ‘Girlfriends’ trio sonata (two recorders and basso continuo) which depicts women from classical history.

Many recorder players will start their explorations of Telemann’s recorder music with the Sonata in F major, which is only modestly challenging. For those who’d like to try playing this sonata with accompaniment, but don’t have a tame accompanist, I recommend looking at Tabea Debus’s Continuo Lines website where you can download performances of the three movements at different tempi. Tabea is planning to gradually expand the variety of repertoire available so do have a root around and you may find some other sonatas you’d like to explore with virtual continuo.

The F major Sonata is perhaps Telemann’s least demanding from a technical standpoint, although it does require a little courage and positivity to play the top C (an octave higher than the one just about the treble stave) in the final movement. It’s here you see Telemann thinking as a recorder player himself - Handel would never have dreamt of using such extreme notes. But Telemann knows this highest note is appropriate as it occurs at the climax of the movement.

Sonata in F major, performed by Erik Bosgraaf

The Sonata in C major is a favourite of mine, and was one of the first pieces of Telemann’s I learnt as a teenager. Here you really get a sense of the composer’s familiarity with the recorder, exploiting the high register for climactic moments in the music. Telemann also includes articulation marks throughout the sonata, some of them quirky, but always stylish and perfectly suited to the instrument. The final Vivace is a real musical firework, with energetically leaping arpeggios and flurries of demisemiquavers which sound very virtuosic. Of course, Telemann innately knew how to write sympathetically for the recorder so these whizzy passages lie beautifully under the fingers.

Sonata in C major, performed by Hyowon Lee

Perhaps the least well known of the recorder sonatas in Der getreue Music-Meister is the Sonata in B flat major. Unusually, this work is written as a strict canon, with the bassline following the recorder part at a few beats distance. In some hands such strict canonic writing would limit the possibilities of the music, but Telemann uses just as much variety and creativity as in his other sonatas.

Sonata in B flat, performed by Clas Pehrsson

Finally we have the Sonata in F minor, which Telemann suggests as being for recorder or bassoon. Here he ventures into a much darker soundworld, opening with a deliciously dramatic and chromatic Triste. The Allegro and Vivace movements are some of Telemann’s most finger-twisting, and a good grasp of flat key scales and arpeggios is a must if you’re to feel at home in F minor. It’s worth persevering though, as being at ease with this music will free you up to explore the dramatic possibilities of the music.

Sonata in F minor, performed by Erik Bosgraaf

As I researched this blog post I learnt it’s not just recorder players who pilfer music from other instruments and I couldn’t resist sharing another performance of the F minor Sonata with you - this time impeccably played on the trombone by Stefan Schulz!

Essercizii Musici

Telemann continued to explore the possibilities of publishing mixed collections of chamber music later in his life, and around 1739 he came up with Essercizii Musici. This collection contains two sets of twelve sonatas for one or two instruments and continuo, featuring combinations of recorder, flute, violin, oboe and viola da gamba, alongside a series of suites for solo harpsichord. Essercizii Musici includes two solo sonatas for recorder which, I think, are among his best.

In the Sonata in C major Telemann experiments with a fluidity of writing, shifting seamlesslybetween Adagio and Allegro tempi. Unusually the lilting Larghetto which follows is in F minor, offering a brief moment of serenity before the fireworks recommence in the final Vivace.

Sonata in C major, performed by Pamela Thorby

The second recorder work in this collection is the Sonata in D minor – my favourite among Telemann’s solo sonatas. This is Telemann at his most daring, with immense drama, big contrasts of dynamic and rapid mood swings.

The opening lines of the D minor Sonata, showing Telemann’s daring use of dynamics

Many a time I’ve programmed this piece as the finale of a recital (a role it fulfils perfectly), only to wonder what possessed me when I remember how much energy it demands at the end of a long concert! Erik Bosgraaf captures the drama perfectly in this performance, particularly with the seamless transition into a positively operatic Grave.

Sonata in D minor, performed by Erik Bosgraaf

The Recorder Sonatinas

Published 1731, Telemann’s two Sonatinas for recorder were part of a collection titled Neue Sonatinen für Clavier, Violine, Flûte trav und Flûte à bec. For a long while the bassline for these sonatas was lost, but a few years ago a complete manuscript of the same works (this time presented as violin sonatas) was discovered in Dresden. This discovery made it possible to perform the Sonatinas asnthe composer intended, although they are still less commonly heard than Telemann’s other recorder sonatas.

Both these works begin to look ahead, musically speaking, with a style which hints at the Galant – that transition between Baroque and Classical – especially in the effortlessly elegant slow movements.

In many ways the Sonatina in A minor feels like a close sibling of Telemann’s other minor key sonatas, exploring virtuosity and sinuous chromatic passages.  

Sonatina in A minor, performed by Stefan Temingh

The Sonatina in C minor is another piece which seems somewhat operatic to me, with contrasts of mood and unexpected shifts of harmony.

Sonatina in C minor, performed by Maurice Steger

Sonata in F minor

This final sonata is something of an outlier, and can be found in a single manuscript at the Bibliotheque du Conservatoire in Brussels. It’s less dramatic than Telemann’s others and perhaps feels like a more ‘generic’ Baroque sonata. That said, I do have a fondness for the opening Adagio, especially in this beautifully expressive performance by Saskia Coolen.

Recommended editions

There are countless editions of Telemann’s recorder sonatas, so I won’t go through each in turn. If you want a good, clean, complete edition you can’t go far wrong with Bernard Thomas’s Complete Original Recorder Sonatas published by Dolce (DOL124). Hortus Musicus publish a good edition of the sonatas from Der getreue Music-Meister (edition number HM6) and I’d recommend the Amadeus edition of the two Essercizii Musici sonatas (BP2052).

Of course, if you want to explore this wonderful repertoire before buying a published edition, it’s worth heading over to Telemann’s page on IMSLP and typing recorder into the ‘Search category’ box halfway down the page for copyright free editions.

Facsimile editions of both Der getreue Music-Meister and Essercizii Musici are available and both are quite easily read by modern eyes too. Both collections are published by Musica Repartita – MR250 for the former, and MR251 for the latter.

Further listening

It’s been a pleasure to explore the many recordings of Telemann’s Sonatas while researching this blog post and I’ve discovered some wonderful performances which I’ll keep returning to. Here are a few of my favourites:

• Telemann: The Recorder Sonatas – Erik Bosgraaf & Francesco Corti (Brilliant Classics) Wonderfully dramatic performances and you can see videos of Erik playing most of them on his YouTube channel too.

• Telemann Recorder Sonatas and Fantasias – Pamela Thorby with Peter Whelan, Alison McGillivray, Elizabeth Kenny & Marcin Świątkiewicz (Linn records) Pamela’s performance of the Essercizii Musici C major Sonata is wonderfully organic and the Fantasias are a lovely bonus. The continuo team is a mix of cello, lute, harpsichord and organ, creating great variety.

• Telemann Recorder Sonatas and Fantasias – Frans Bruggen, Anner Bylsma & Gustav Leonhardt (Apex) These feel a little dated in places now, but worth exploring as in their time they were some of the best.

• Telemann Sonatas No.1-7 – Saskia Coolen, Margriet Tindemans & Peter Watshorn (Globe). I particularly love Saskia’s spacious approach to the Affettuoso of the D minor Sonata. 

• Telemann Solo and Trio Sonatas – Maurice Steger, Continuo Consort & Naoki Kitaya (Claves) – a real showman and it’s a joy to hear some of Telemann’s exquisite trio sonatas here too.

• Telemann Cantatas for soprano and recorder – Stefan Temmingh, Dorothee Mields and continuo (Accent). A particularly lovely performance of the A minor Sonatina alongside cantatas and trio sonatas which all feature the recorder.

If you’ve enjoyed this romp through Telemann’s recorder sonatas please do let me know in the comments below which other composers you’d like me to explore. The recorder’s repertoire is enormously varied and I hope these posts may help you discover music, familiar and unknown, for our favourite instrument.

Likewise, if you have favourite editions of these works or other recordings you particularly enjoy do tell us about them in the comments below.

Desert Island Discs - the recorder edit

One of the benefits of doing more face to face work again is being back on the road much more. I find this time, alone in my car, is the perfect opportunity to think and I cook up lots of creative ideas there. The only downside is the inability to write anything down - if inspiration strikes I have to hope that great idea sticks in my head until I reach my next stop! Today’s post is one such idea, germinated during a long drive to Wales last month, while listening to a repeat of Desert Island Discs featuring the late Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones.

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Photo by Bastian Pudill

I’ve often wondered what I might choose as my ‘Desert Island Discs’ if I were to be invited to share them. Of course, I’m under no illusion that I’d ever be interesting enough to be asked, but I’m sure we’ve all had similar thoughts as we’ve listened to the show. For those who aren’t familiar with the BBC Radio 4 programme of the same name, in each episode a well known figure is asked to choose the eight discs they’d take with them if they were shipwrecked on a desert island, along with a book and a luxury item. Hearing their thoughts on why they’ve chosen particular pieces of music is fascinating and often very revealing too.

For my take on Desert Island Discs I’m going to focus solely on music with connections to the recorder. Some of my tracks feature the instrument centre stage, while in others it’s a team player. I will say up front that in the unlikely event of me being invited to do this for real, my selection would be rather different. It changes from year to year, but would undoubtedly include an eclectic mix of the Elgar Piano Quintet and a Shostakovich Symphony, alongside The Beatles’ Penny Lane, something by ABBA and definitely some Bach. No one ever said a recorder player’s listening diet has to be limited solely to early music!

I’ve tracked down videos of all bar one of my choices today (so you can hear and see them without having to search), but in the interests of staying true to the programme’s original concept, all are also available as digital downloads or CDs.

So let’s get cracking…

Disc 1 - Telemann Fantasia No.3 in D minor, performed by Frans Brüggen

Telemann Recorder Sonatas and Fantasias, Frans Brüggen, Anner Bylsma & Gustav Leonhardt, Warner Classics 1993

I’m sure Frans Brüggen is a hero to many recorder players. A leading light in the early music revival of the 1960s, he quickly became known as a virtuoso on recorder and flute, performing both early music and avant garde works. By the 1980s he’d made a shift into conducting, and continued directing orchestras until the year before his death in 2014. I soon learnt about Brüggen’s exquisite playing when I became serious about the recorder in my teenage years. At the age of 16 my parents took me to a concert he gave with harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt at Eton College and this just increased my hero worship of him. I went backstage afterwards to ask for his autograph and still have the Selma Canzona he performed (which I was learning at the time) with his signature inside the cover.

I could have chosen any number of Brüggen’s performances and I came close to picking the Telemann Concerto for recorder and flute, which was a favourite during my student years. However, discovering this video of him playing the third of Telemann’s Fantasias confirmed my choice.

Frans Brüggen was a tall man and always preferred to play sitting because he felt this better suited the intimate tone of the recorder. A completely valid choice, but show this video to any recorder teacher and you’ll have them harrumphing about his appalling posture! Posture aside, his playing is elegant, stylish and absolutely effortless - I dream of one day having finger technique that minimalist! Of course, this choice also covers a composer I couldn’t leave out of my Desert Island Discs - Georg Philipp Telemann. A recorder player himself, his music effortlessly treads that line between being playable and utilising all the potential of our favourite instrument. Ironically, this is originally a flute piece, but it’s often stolen by recorder players - myself included.

Disc 2 - J.S.Bach - Cantata no.106, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit

Bach “Actus Tragicus”, BWV106 & BWV21, Ton Koopman & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir, Challenge Classics, 2008

I just had to include something by the genius of J.S.Bach in my list, although it took a while to narrow down my choice.

Bach composed this glorious cantata at the tender age of 22 for the funeral of Adolph Strecker, former Mayor of Mühlhausen. Written for singers plus a small instrumental group of two viola da gamba, two recorders and basso continuo, it feels so intimate. The opening recorder parts are uniquely written, beginning in unison before winding sinuously around each other, creating delicious passing discords. I was lucky enough some years ago to play alongside one of my students in a performance of this cantata at St. Luke’s Church, Chelsea, playing to hundreds of children who’d been invited along from local schools. It was such a luxury to be able to work on a piece like this with a school ensemble and one I will remember for years to come.

Disc 3 - Paul Leenhouts - Report upon “When shall the sun shine?”, performed by the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet.

Extra Time, Decca Records, 1990

One of my first encounters with the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet was a Sunday morning coffee concert they gave at the Wigmore Hall when I was a teenager. I clearly recall listening to them, awestruck at their impeccable ensemble and flawless tuning. Never before had I heard a recorder ensemble so perfectly in tune - they sounded like a immaculately tuned pipe organ. Formed in 1978, the ALSQ’s reputation was boosted three years later at the Bruges Early Music Competition. Pushing the boundaries of the rules of a competition intended for early music, they performed this unusual take on Stevie Wonder’s song, You are the sunshine of my life and were rewarded with first prize!

A decade later I played with a recorder quartet while studying at Trinity College of Music and we used the same piece to enter the Students’ Union chamber music competition – the only competition the college’s recorder players were then eligible to enter. We had such fun preparing for the performance and gave it everything we had. As we waited for the results, the brass players we’d competed against stood around the hall, looking utterly confident they’d done enough to secure first place. Imagine their shock when we snatched first prize from under their noses! Although we don’t often play together now as a quartet, the four of us remain firm friends and this recording couldn’t help but make me smile on my desert island.

Disc 4 – Anthony Holborne - The Fairie Round performed by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London

Instruments of Middle Age and Renaissance, Erato 2007

Have you ever wondered whether alien civilisations (if indeed they exist) play music or what they might make of our own earthly music? Back in 1977 NASA scientists launched the Voyager 1 and 2 probes into space, to explore our solar system, using a unique alignment of the planets that year to slingshot them deeper into space than any manmade vehicle had previously travelled. Before they sent the probes on their way, the scientists decided each one should carry a record made of gold plated copper, containing sounds and imagery of life on Earth. Alongside sounds from our natural world, the discs include a selection of music, from traditional tunes from around the world, to popular and classical music. One of these pieces is Anthony Holborne’s galliard, The Fairie Round.

Holborne’s collection Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, published in 1599, is a wonderful musical resource, often used by recorder players, and I frequently delve into them. Some of the dances are particularly special, and with The Fairie Round Holborne was wonderfully imaginative in his use of rhythm, creating an endlessly shifting combination of duple and triple rhythms.

Learning that this particular dance is winging its way into outer space caught my imagination and I find it intriguing to think that one day, perhaps in millennia to come, an alien civilisation may discover it and learn about their interstellar neighbours. At the time the gold discs were made David Munrow and his Early Music Consort of London were leading players in the early music revival. With changes to the way we interpret early music today and developments in playing techniques, modern performances of The Fairy Round may be more polished, but I felt this was the performance that needed to join me on my desert island.

Of course, the Voyager golden discs are a snapshot in our own planetary time, sharing music and sounds we felt was representative of Earth back in 1977. I wonder what might be included on an equivalent disc today – what would you include?

Disc 5 – Brian Bonsor Tango, performed by The Amici Recorder Ensemble and James Letham.

Bravo Bonsor! Performed by The Amici Recorder Ensemble and James Letham, conducted by Helen Hooker, 2012

The record choices of the BBC’s desert island castaways, spanning some eight decades, are remembered for different reasons. The author PL Travers, for instance, chose to take no music at all – just spoken word recordings, while poet Ian MacMillan picked the sound of silence, selecting John Cage’s famous (or infamous) 4’ 33”, where the ‘music’ is created solely from ambient noise at the time it’s performed. However, one castaway, the soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, is notorious for having chosen seven of her own recordings. I don’t have a large enough catalogue of recordings to do this but I am going to have a moment of self-indulgence, selecting just one track I participated in!

When Brian Bonsor passed away in 2011 the Society of Recorder Players chose to celebrate his life by commissioning a CD of his music. Brian was Chairman of The Recorder Summer School for a time and it was he who invited me to join the tutoring team in 1993. Naturally, I said yes and the course has played a huge part in my working life ever since. I owe Brian a debt of gratitude for having faith in my abilities as a tutor, fresh from college, and have many happy memories of working and playing alongside him. I was of course thrilled when the SRP invited me to oversee the recording project and I carefully chose an ensemble of players who would rise to the occasion, including pianist James Letham, who was a close friend and colleague of Brian and his wife Mary.

When it came to selecting music for the CD, there was a vast array from which to choose, from solos to recorder orchestra pieces. One piece immediately went to the top of my shortlist – Brian’s Tango. It had long been a favourite of mine, and one of my school ensembles had recently performed it in Chichester Cathedral. To my delight Mary told me it had always been Brian’s favourite too and that sealed the deal! Brian could often come across as a rather serious character, but much of his music reveals a sense of fun and an encyclopaedic knowledge of different musical styles too. In the Tango, Brian reveals a passionate streak with this emotional Spanish dance which never fails to make me smile and want to dance. Maybe my sojourn on a desert island will be the moment I finally learn to dance, with Brian’s Tango as my soundtrack…

Disc 6 The Fool on the Hill, performed by The Beatles

Magical Mystery Tour, Parlophone, 1967

One of my other musical hobbies as a teenager was playing the guitar. I never studied the classical repertoire, but learnt folk guitar at primary school and kept it going when I moved on to secondary school. The guitar group at my high school was run at lunchtimes by my English teacher, one Mr Pering, who was a huge Beatles fan. His enthusiasm for the fab four rubbed off on me and I soon found a love for songs like Penny Lane and A Day in the Life. Of course, one of their songs, The Fool on the Hill, features the recorder heavily and it was always going to feature on my shortlist here.

Paul McCartney plays the recorder on this track and has subsequently used the istrument on some of his solo albums too. Admittedly, the playing may not exhibit a polished professional technique, but it has the perfect feel of joyful abandon, and it never fails to make me smile.

Disc 7: Antonio Vivaldi – Concerto in C, RV443 performed by Dan Laurin

Vivaldi Recorder Concertos, Dan Laurin and the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, BIS 1993

Vivaldi was an astonishingly prolific composer, writing over 500 concertos for a wide variety of instruments. A number of them feature the recorder and RV443, in C major, is perhaps the best known. More often played on the sopranino recorder, for this disc Dan Laurin chose to perform instead on the treble and I think the mellower tone brings added depth and beauty.

I bought this disc when it was released in 1993 and was blown away by Laurin’s charismatic playing and his utterly gorgeous ornamentation in the slow movements. With this as one of my desert island discs it would perpetually inspire me to be more creative in my playing. I’ve picked the C major concerto for its heartbreakingly beautiful Largo (to be found at 3 minutes & 45 seconds in the video above), but I’d also recommend you explore the C minor concerto, RV441 too(also included on this disc), which is one of his finest.

Disc 8: Louis Prima – Sing, sing sing performed by the Flanders Recorder Quartet and Saskia Coolen

5 [Five] - Flanders Recorder Quartet with Saskia Coolen, Aeolus Music 2017

I just had to finish with some unashamed fun and I think this fits the bill perfectly. The recorder isn’t best known for being a jazz instrument, but the Flanders Quartet show here that it can be a perfect fit in the right hands. This jazz standard dates back to 1936 and became closely associated with clarinettist Benny Goodman and his big band (you can find his version here for comparison). I defy anyone to resist the infectious energy and sense of fun in this video from the quartet’s recording session!

To complete the full Desert Island Discs experience of course I also need a book at a luxury, so here are my recorder related choices…

Book: Johann Joachim Quantz – On Playing the Flute

Faber & Faber

Choosing a single book to take along with me to the desert island was a tricky one. There are plenty of books about the recorder but I wanted something which would keep me entertained and stimulated, both musically and intellectually. On Playing the Flute is an invaluable resource for anyone who plays Baroque music and I feel sure it would provide me with inspiration for a long while.

Although Quantz, wrote this with flautists in mind, it contains vast amounts of information which is transferrable to any instrument of the period. He talks about the mindset required to be a musician, the physical demands, how to practise efficiently and he shares endless advice on techniques, musical style and ornamentation. I have to confess I have yet to read it from cover to cover, but often dip in for advice on specific topics and I recommend you do the same. If you’ve never come across this book before, I can wholeheartedly recommend Sarah Jeffery’s introduction, where she picks out salient points and some her favourite highlights.

Luxury: Bressan tenor recorder by Stephan Blezinger

Many years ago I tried one of Stephan’s beautiful tenor recorders and knew that one day I wanted to own one. I struggled for a long while to justify buying a really good wooden tenor when I balanced how much I would use it against a rather large price tag. Instead I persisted with a Yamaha plastic tenor which was very good, but not hugely inspiring.

In 2017 I finally gave into temptation and purchased a Blezinger Bressan tenor at the Early Music Festival and I’m so pleased I did. While based on a Bressan original, Stephan’s interpretation of the design includes beautiful keywork, which makes it a comfortable instrument to play. It’s long, wide bore offers me wonderfully full and fruity low notes, while the top register sings effortlessly – a tenor recorder player’s dream! There may not be a vast solo repertoire for tenor recorder but there’s absolutely no reason why I shouldn’t play Telemann Fantasias, Vivaldi Concertos, Debussy’s Syrinx or anything else on my instrument during my desert island life – after all, no one apart from the birds will be listening!

So there you have it – my recorder themed Desert Island Discs. If I were to reconsider in a few months time I might well choose differently, but it’s snapshot of my recorder related musical choices in 2021.

I’d love to hear what you might pick for your desert island companions. Would you pick just recorder music, or might your choices be more eclectic? Do click on the comments below and share your ideas – it’ll be fascinating to hear what you’d take with you.