TELEMANNS FANTASIER FOR SOLOFLØYTE

«Telemann: 12 Solo Fantasias» er Caroline Eidsten Dahls fjerde utgivelse på LAWO Classics. Her gir hun oss velklingende blokkfløytetolkninger av Telemanns (svært dansbare) fantasier for solofløyte, TWV 40:2–13. Menuett, sarabande, bourrée, gigue, gavotte, hornpipe og polonese; som svært mange andre komponister brukte Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) danser som utgangspunkt for sine komposisjoner. I fantasiene for fløyte finner vi flere eksempler. Selv om musikken ikke er skrevet for ballsalen, teateret eller operascenen, finnes det klare referanser til barokkens fransk hoffdans.

Caroline sier selv om musikken på denne utgivelsen: Telemanns Fantasi nr. 1 for solofløyte var et av de aller første stykkene barokkmusikk jeg spilte. Og jeg husker godt læreren min som sa at «...når du kan spille alle 12, da er du virkelig god!» Siden har jeg hatt stor respekt for denne samlingen av Telemanns små mesterverk. Det jeg elsker mest med denne musikken er at den er så variert! Fra den vakreste, mest melodiøse Largo, til de heftigste dansetrinn i en polsk Polonaise. Hver av fantasiene har sitt eget språk og forteller sin helt unike historie, noen ganger i duett med seg selv! Og som i så mye annen barokkmusikk; dansen er den røde tråden. Noen ganger aner vi danseren i øyekroken, andre ganger trer hun fram i hele synsfeltet. Iblant tar danseren en pust i bakken, intenst lyttende.

Caroline Eidsten Dahl (f. 1980) er en av Norges mest aktive blokkfløytister. Hun er utdannet hos Frode Thorsen ved Griegakademiet i Bergen og hos Dan Laurin ved Kungliga Musikhögskolan i Stockholm. Hun avsluttet sine diplomstudier med fordypning i kammermusikk ved Kungl. Musikhögskolan i 2006.

Caroline er fast medlem av flere ensembler: Woodpeckers blokkfløytekvartett, Ensemble Freithoff, Bragernes barokk og Christian IV Consort. Hun konserterer rundt om i Norge, Sverige og Danmark, både som kammermusiker og solist. Våren 2007 ble hun en av tre vinnere av Rikskonsertenes (nå Kulturtankens) lanseringsprogram «INTRO-klassisk» i sesongen 2008–2009. I regi av Rikskonsertene reiste hun til India og Kina for blant annet å fremføre norsk og kinesisk musikk med musikere fra Shanghai. Caroline har deltatt ved en rekke festivaler, blant annet Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, hvor hun spilte med Academia Montis Regalis, The Early Music Festival i London, Stockholm Early Music Festival, Oslo Early, Stavanger internasjonale kammermusikkfestival, Oslo Kammermusikkfestival og Oslo kirkemusikkfestival.

I 2014 kom Carolines første solo-album «Blockbird – Norwegian Recorder Music» (LWC1069) på LAWO Classics, den mottok strålende kritikker i inn- og utland. 2018 kom «Sonata Norwegica» (LWC1165)på samme selskap, med norsk og svensk barokkmusikk. I 2019 ga hun ut «Telemann Recorder Sonatas» (LWC1181) med cellist Kate Hearne og cembalist Christian Kjos. Caroline mottok Statens kunstnerstipend for nyetablerte kunstnere i to år, fra 2010 til 2012.

TELEMANN'S FANTASIAS FOR SOLO FLUTE

"Telemann: 12 Solo Fantasias" is Caroline Eidsten Dahl's fourth release on LAWO Classics. In this release Eidsten Dahl's offers us rich-sounding recorder interpretations of Telemann's (decidedly danceable) fantasies for solo flute, TWV 40: 2–13. As with many other composers, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) based many of his compositions on dances, including minuets, sarabandes, bourrées, gigues, gavottes, and polonaises. The fantasias for the flute is no exception, and here we find several examples. Although the music is not written specifically for the ballroom, theatre or the opera stage, there are clear references to Baroque French court dances.

This is what Caroline herself says about the music on this release: “Telemann's Fantasy No. 1 for solo flute was one of the very first pieces of baroque music I ever played. And I clearly remember my teacher saying, ‘when you can play all 12, then you're really good!’ Since then, I’ve had a great deal of respect for this collection of Telemann's small masterpieces. What I love most about this music is how varied it is, from the most beautiful, melodic Largo, to the fiercest dance steps of the Polonaise. Each of the fantasies has its own language and tells a completely unique story, sometimes even in duet with itself! And just as in so much other baroque music, it is the dance which is the common thread. You can either make out the dancer in the corner of your eye, or she’ll appear unmistakably in your field of vision. And then sometimes she’ll take a breather, listening intensely.”

Caroline Eidsten Dahl (b. 1980) is one of Norway’s most active recorder players. Her training took place under the auspices of Frode Thorsen at the Grieg Academy in Bergen as well as with Dan Laurin at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where in 2006 she completed her studies specialising in cham­ber music. Caroline is a permanent member of sev­eral ensembles including the Woodpeckers recorder quartet, Ensemble Freithoff, Bragernes Barokk and the Christian IV Consort. She performs concerts regularly throughout Norway, Sweden and Denmark, both as a chamber musician and a soloist.

In the spring of 2007 she was one of three winners of Concerts Norway’s launch program “INTRO-klassisk” for performances during the 2008–2009 season. Under the direction of Concerts Norway, she travelled to India and China performing Norwegian and Chinese music with musicians from Shanghai. Caroline has performed at numerous festivals includ­ing the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, where she played with Academia Montis Regalis, the Early Mu­sic Festival in London, Stockholm Early Music Festi­val, Oslo Early, the Stavanger International Chamber Music Festival, and the Oslo International Church Music Festival.

2014 saw the release of Caroline’s debut solo album “Blockbird – Norwegian Recorder Music”(LWC1069) on the LAWO Classics label, receiving rave reviews both on the home front and abroad. This was followed in 2018 by the release of “Sonata Norwegica”(LWC1165) on the same label, featuring Norwegian and Swedish baroque music. In 2019 she released “Telemann Re­corder Sonatas” (LWC1181) with cellist Kate Hearne and cembalist Christian Kjos. Caroline received Arts Council Norway’s scholarship for newly established artists from 2010 to 2012.

ANMELDELSER/REVIEWS:

"[...] Likewise, Dahl is at home in the complex tributaries of the composer’s melodic lines, playing with historical reverence but never with historical baggage. The intimacy of this recording is like being in a deep conversation, aware of each word and thought expressed, while remaining blithely oblivious to the time passing." Olivia Giovetti, Van-Magazine, 17.02.2022

"[...] Recorded in a suitably resonant acoustic this is a very refined and highly enjoyable release with, as already stated, superlatively high musical standards. Whether you prefer recorder or transverse flute will be up to you, but this can stand comparison with any alternative. Each movement if not every section is given its own access point on the CD, where most alternatives just have one track per Fantasia, and the booklet has useful notes on the dance forms Telemann uses." Dominy Clements, Musicweb International, March 2022