Telemann's collection of Fantasias for viola da gamba was thought to be permanently lost until a single surviving copy was discovered in late 2015 at Ledenburg Castle in northern Germany.
Compositional Technique
Each of Telemann's viola da gamba Fantasias consists of three or four movements, resembling the structure of an Italian sonata, yet they also incorporate an improvisational character.
Instruments
The viola da gamba used in this recording was built in 1997 by Tilman Muthesius, modeled after a Michel Colichon instrument, and the bow was made by Luis Emilio Rodriguez Carrington in 2007.
Composer Biography
Georg Philipp Telemann, the composer, wrote these Fantasias for viola da gamba in 1735, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the instrument.
Historical Context
Telemann's viola da gamba Fantasias were printed in 1735, just a few years before Johann Sebastian Bach's sonatas for viola da gamba and obbligato harpsichord, which were composed in the late 1730s or early 1740s.
Performer Biography
Markus Kuikka, the performer, earned a doctorate from the Sibelius Academy in 2009, specializing in the baryton (a bass gamba with resonance strings) and arpeggione (a bowed guitar).
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