Telemann: 12 Fantasias (TWV 40)

Description

Originally for flute, these pieces have become standard repertoire for recorder players.

The source for these pieces is one of Telemann’s own attempts at publishing, a very crudely engraved print, preserved in the Bibliothèque du Conservatoire in Brussels  probably printed around 1727-8, between his earlier  works set with movable type, and before the more elegantly engraved music in Der getreue Music-meister of 1728.  The title page is headed “Fantasie per il Violino senz Basso”.  However, in Telemann’s autobiography he mentions 12 fantasias for transverse flute. As the other set of unaccompanied fantasias by Telemann (TWV 40/14-25), which really are for violin are full of double-stops, have even wider leaps, and make full use of the bottom string of the instrument, we do not have to take the heading for the present pieces too seriously, especially as it is in a different hand from that of the titles to the individual pieces.
There are some cases in Telemann’s print where notes have been corrected sometimes leaving a trace of the original note. These have not been listed below, unless there is real ambiguity, i.e.two notes appearing instead of one.

(Bernard Thomas)