Georg Philipp Telemann could write a trio sonata in the time that it would take the average person to read an article in a magazine, and with perhaps half the effort. He always took the bassline first, then added the top line or solo, and finally added all the obbligato stuff in between, and – presto! – Telemann was done. Telemann was also enormously prolific in the production of trio sonatas; for example, the TWV number for the last work on disc: "TWV 42:F15," means that it is Telemann's trio sonata No. 15 in the key of F major; he wrote 21 sonatas in that key alone. Even taking that into consideration, Telemann was not a cookie cutter Baroque composer of trio sonatas; they are quite variable in style and sound and demonstrate a questing mind at work. Telemann at the very least did not seek to bore an audience with his trio sonatas just because he could produce them with such facility.

Francesco Mancini (1672-1737) was born in Naples, and worked initially as an organist at the Cappella Reale, an institution he would direct some years later until he was replaced by Alessandro Scarlatti in 1708. Mancini composed many concertos and sonatas, and the works on these CDs were first published in London in 1724. The music contained in these sonatas displays Mancini’s gift for great expressivity and lyricism. The material is developed skillfully in ways that often lead to considerable tension and drama. The spirit of the dance is never far away from the finales and often contrast with the tense and dramatic opening movements and the long slow movements.

Brilliant Classics' Telemann Edition is a cube-shaped, flip-top box set of 29 CDs, drawn from the label's extensive back list. Georg Philipp Telemann was a major figure of the Baroque era and one of the most prolific composers of that or any age; his massive output encompassed Tafelmusik (music for the table), concertos, orchestral suites, chamber works, keyboard pieces, oratorios, operas, and cantatas. This collection is comprehensive in its coverage, providing an in-depth appreciation of Telemann's highly varied and innovative work, and the performances by a long roster of European musicians show a fine sense for period practices. To fit so many discs into this package, they are protected by thin cardboard sleeves, and the thin booklet that accompanies them gives a brief explanation of Telemann's career and reputation over the succeeding centuries. However, the sound quality is only slightly variable and quite pleasant throughout, and the package as a whole is likely to satisfy any Telemann fan.