This is the fourth volume in a series devoted to
Telemann
cantatas from the early years of 1714 and 1715, planned to be recorded complete. The "Complete Cantatas" heading in the graphics refers to this group of pieces, not to the composer's vast surviving output of some 1,400 cantatas. Despite the extent of the repertory,
's cantatas, in general, are rarely performed or recorded; listeners have flocked to these examples, placing this 2025 release on classical best-seller lists early that year. The
Französischer Jahrgang
("
French Cycle
") of the title refers not to any sojourn in France on
's part but both musical and textual aspects that were thought to have French characteristics. Among these are "the structure of the texts, with their interlocking short text fragments and Bible verses," to quote annotator
Birger Petersen
. This is just one insight among many to be found in the hefty but informative booklet notes. On the double album are ten cantatas plus a "Choralvorspiel" ("chorale introduction"). The general structures are simple, and the melodies are not in a league with
Bach
's, but
is generally thinking about the texts, and the shapes of his settings are never dull. Consider the ominous Arioso and Recitative "Der Antichrist wird nimmer ruhn" ("The Antichrist Will Never Rest"), from the cantata
Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, TWV 1:451
. The performances by director
Felix Koch
and his ideally sized (small but not minimal)
Neumeyer Consort
and
Gutenberg Soloists Choir
are quite strong, with lots of energy and soloists that scale down the essentially operatic language of these works to small church dimensions. Praiseworthy, too, is the sound from the
CPO
label working at the SWR Radio Studio in Kaiserslautern. This and the other volumes in
Koch
's series (each one shows
and his librettist addressing slightly different problems, including between the two CDs in this release) will give listeners a good introduction to a largely neglected part of
's output. ~ James Manheim