Music / The Entrepreneur, Salut! Baroque, at Wesley Uniting Church, July 18. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

Celebrating 30 years of the best of baroque music, Canberra group Salut! Baroque’s latest program celebrated one of the baroque period’s star composers, Georg Philipp Telemann.

The most famous composer in Germany in his day, Telemann composed more than 3000 compositions that demonstrated an uncanny sense of popular musical trends. 

Skilled on 11 instruments, he also absorbed and incorporated music from throughout Europe and boasted that he could compose in the Italian, French, English, Scottish and Polish styles. He was a brilliant promoter of his own publications, amassing hundreds of subscribers – quite the entrepreneur!

Ten outstanding musicians playing baroque instruments – recorder, flute, violin, cello, double bass, theorbo and harpsichord – presented a large program of works by Telemann and his contemporaries including Handel, CPE Bach, Buffardin, Rameau, Corelli and Roman.

There’s usually a refreshingly different angle to Salut! Baroque’s concerts and for this one, Telemann himself – resplendent in full costume and wig – appeared and offered witty and wise narration for the various works played.

He even sang one of his own compositions, an aria from the “cantata for an artistically skilled canary whose death brought the greatest sorrow to his owner”. He even brought the dead canary in a cage as evidence as well as the cat. Canberra actor and singer Colin Milner gave a delightful performance as Telemann.

Four works by Telemann were played, showing his skill at composing in different styles. The French-inspired work, Modéré from Paris Quartet in E Minor, with its beautiful, wistful melodies played superbly by Sally Walker on flute, was one of the highlights of the memorable concert.

Others included CPE Bach’s allegretto from Symphony in B minor, Buffardin’s allegro con molto from Concert in E minor and Corelli’s Concerto Grosso Op. 6 no. 8 Christmas Concerto.