After a liturgical year (1715-1716) full of borrowings – deliberate, of course – in a slightly pompous French style, Telemann would dedicate the following seasons to exploring the Italian style through his weekly cantatas in Frankfurt; because we know that he was in the habit of composing a full liturgical cycle every three calendar years, and that the "concert cantatas" stretch out from 1716-1717 to 1719-1720. Much livelier, "lighter", and more melodic, this ultramontane music largely makes use of solo obbligato instruments, whence the unofficial moniker of "concert cantatas": three oboes, solo bassoon, solo trumpet... The extraordinarily free writing offers vocal soloists, choirs and musicians plenty of opportunities to have fun. But as Italian as it may be, this style never departs from the rigour and richness of Northern Germany, in terms of counterpoint and polyphony. Among the dozens, the hundreds, of Telemann's cantatas, the Ex Tempore vocal quartet and the Mannheimer Hofkapelle have chosen four of the most outstanding masterpieces, which offer the greatest originality in all respects. Clearly, Telemann has plenty of surprises still up his sleeve… © SM/Qobuz