Epoca

The quadri or quartets of Georg Philipp Telemann were among the first works to use that name and have sometimes been proposed as ancestors of the string quartet. They may or may not be that, but they're among Telemann's most progressive works, exploiting instrumental contrasts and pairing them with harmonic experiments. Sample the Quadro in E major for two transverse flutes and two cellos, TWV 43:E1, which could almost be early Haydn. The weakening role of the basso continuo in later Telemann chamber music like that on this album is shown by the fact that the quadro or trio designated by the work title sometimes includes the continuo and sometimes does not…