This is probably going to seem like a really stupid question, but as I don't really have a teacher as such at the moment I thought I would ask here.. Telemann Fantasias - can someone give me some ideas on how they're supposed to be interpreted/played. I've imagined something not too dissimilar to Handel but am I way off the mark?

No your quite right treat it pretty much like Handel and you cant go too far wrong although I'm sure someone more qualified can be of more help!

Have fun Telemanns amazing!

Thanks for that - let's hope I'm playing Handel the right way

Handel, but with a Fantasia aspect.

If the fantasia has a slow opening section (eg no 2 in A minor, no 7 in D major) then you can be much freer with this than you usually would with baroque music. This is your fanfare, if you like, where you announce yourself. You should then remember to be more strict with tempo in the faster movements.

Look for the shortest note length (eg semiquavers). These should be played legato, particularly if moving in step. The next shortest note length (eg quavers) should be played detached. Notes moving in larger intervals should be played more detached than notes of the same length moving by step.

The most interesting recording of these I've come across (although expensive) is the one by Robert He-who-shall-not-be-named.

Hope this has given you some ideas.

Thanks for the info - that's really helpful

k theres loads of things u can say relating to how to play Telemann fantasias. Telemann cleverly suggests
keys and chordal structures within the solo melody. As someone already said, ye the first section should be free, but make sure it doenst seem as tho u cant keep in time cos i keep doing that!. U can use articulation for echoes when Telmann repeats phrases, ie a softer, lighter tounging the second time and a shorter, accented effect the first. Telemann often goes back to a low note in semi tone sections, so linger on this note as it comes every beat to really bring it out, (like a drone underneath)
The 1st fantasia has a kinda fugue section (starting with the 4 spiccato crotchests). It comes back after 2 bars in quavers, (anc again 4 more times)with a countersubject alternating, so bring out the first quaver of each beat whenever this "fugue" appears.
If you need to breathe in long semiquaver passages (i know i do!) then just pull the tempo back so u can make the breath natural.
I dont reli know if any of that made sense to u!!

Having played nothing but Telemann Fantasias for a couple of hours a day since my Baroque flute arrived I thought of starting a thread called "What's your Fav Telemann Fantasia?" - but then I thought I'd just add it to the end of this one

My list is somewhat skewed by having played them on the Baroque flute - there being no Bb thumb key everything with Bb is tricky, and the ones with Eb require quicker reflexes on that single key than I have developed just yet.

3 - 7 - 11 -
4 - 5 - 10 - only the last bits & the middle bit of 8
2 - 6 - don't like
1 - 9 - 12 - can't do then justice enough to make a decision (yet)

I'm not good with numbers - I tend to think of them by their key.

Favourites: no. 7 in D (I love the three-part fugue); no. 8 in E minor.

Also like: no. 6 in D minor; no. 12 in G minor.

Dislike the E major one and the F# minor one.

I've had the book for ages but only really now started looking at it.

I'm currently playing the first one in A major - any tips for it.

Break them down phrase by phrase...get them right first time and approach them really steadily...wrong notes and fingerings are the very devil to shift and in the Teleman there is no room for error...this of course you know already but I love these fantasies and they are played on the Oboe and I have had a look at some of them myself with my teacher...the above was the advice given to me...

Good luck and enjoy them

Andrew

yep - skip it and try one of the nice ones first

You mean there's nicer ones?? I like it!!

Daughter has this complete with Cd but hasn't tried it yet.

I've done a couple on the recorder and found them incredibly challenging to play, but so rewarding in the end! Haven't attempted any on the flute yet! And don't think I will any time soon! I guess you are doing it on the flute and just want to say good luck and have fun!

Tip: Little bits at a time!

I am currently playing N°8 on the oboe but I'm not sure that it's one of my favourites.

I like N°2 and N°6.

I have two recordings of the F# minor one on the oboe, one of which I love and one of which leaves me completely indifferent.

When I first started playing them last year I found them incredibly challenging - I kept playing notes in the wrong octave and tuning was dodgy (to put it mildly). I hadn't looked at them at all for about six months (as they were really too difficult to be enjoyable) and was pleasantly surprised when I started learning the N° 8 about a month ago to find that they were no longer impossibly difficult.

Does anyone else love No.3 the most?

They are tricky - No.7 is on Trinity's G8 list at the moment and it's by no means the hardest. The devil in me emailed Trinity and asked if it would be permissible to take the exam using a Baroque flute for the Telemann and they said "Yes" If anyone's thinking of doing this do be advised that Trinity need the request in writing and will send a letter of permission to be handed to the examiner.

(I'm building up to enquire whether a Performance Diploma soley on Baroque Flute might be possibe. In some year's time)