The Freiburger Barockorchester, directed from Gottfried von der Goltz’s violin, release a brand new recording of Telemann’s rare Passion, entitled Seliges Erwägen (Contemplative Meditations). More than just setting to music the story of the passion of Christ, such as Bach did, we hear in this score a succession of meditations.

If we know little about its genesis, it is acknowledged that the success of this work was considerable, even more than that of his Passion after Brockes or his oratorio The Death of Jesus.

The clear diction and the transparency of the voices in the chorales perfectly convey the dramatic expression, typical of these sacred works. Telemann entrusts the orchestra to emphasize the affects of the text thanks to a subtle instrumentation. The sound of the chalumeaux, the clarinet’s ancestors, enriches the woodwind section and contributes to the diversity of characters that reflects the composer’s imagination.

The superb baroque ensemble on period instruments from Freiburg enhances Telemann's consoling and luminous
humanity.