Simon Borutzki: |12 Fantasias – 12 Recorders

Telemann’s Twelve Fantasias are a stunning example of Baroque solo works ‘senza basso”. The cycle’s title “Fantasie per il Violino senza Basso” indicates that it was originally written for the violin. Though Telemann did not intend these works for the recorder, he himself allowed for this possibility – and the present disc takes advantage of this: Simon Borutzki performs the pieces with twelve different recorders, clothing each Fantasia in its own garment of sound, selecting the most effective colours from his palette much like a painter. Considerations of noise levels, brilliance in the high range, or sonority in the low range were important here, depending on the content of the individual piece. The works” appeal and finesse derives from their ability to suggest polyphony through intricate melodic designs, which make use of the instrument’s full range.