More entrancing Telemann suites – how the man kept them coming I just do not know. Here we have La Bizarre‚ rather excitedly named after some textural oddities in the overture; a trumpet suite with no title but including an amusing depiction of a postillion; and Les Nations‚ a whizz through the national characteristics by turns of the Turks (coarse and direct)‚ the Swiss (calm and dignified)‚ the Muscovites (represented by their church bells) and the Portuguese (exuberant dancing). This particular suite also ends with a pair of movements depicting horses fast and slow – Telemann certainly liked to let his imagination range freely! Finally‚ there is a violin concerto which seems to be a tongue­in­cheek imitation of Vivaldi imitating frogs (Les Rainettes)‚ creatures which readily lend themselves to dissonant string impersonation. In short‚ this is music of unremitting good humour‚ with plenty of jokes for musicians and listeners alike‚ in which the ideas never stop flowing and the craftsmanship never falters. How like Haydn Telemann can be! The Berlin Academy of Early Music could have been made for these works. All it takes to bring them off‚ after all‚ is to play with Tiggerish energy‚ virtuoso precision of ensemble and a huge smile in your heart‚ and this they do with a group spirit that is all the more remarkable for the fact that they operate without a director. True‚ they may lack some of the clarity and grace shown by Collegium Musicum 90 under Simon Standage in their account of Les Nations on Chandos‚ but their strength of commitment more than compensates. This‚ one senses‚ is a group in which every member is prepared to live the music to the full‚ and the result is a joy from start to finish.