Poor Telemann. He was a casualty of having done his job too well.
He wrote more music than Bach and Handel combined – over 3000 works – making him one of the most prolific composers of all time. Yet nothing in his oeuvre has captured the public imagination quite like the “Brandenburg Concertos” or the “Water Music.”
Of course, he wrote “Water Music” too.
On the other hand, he was recognized in his own lifetime. He was an innovator, assimilating Italian and French influences into his own style, and his contemporaries bought and studied his scores. He was offered the cantorate of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, ahead of Bach. He counted Bach among his friends, as well as Handel. Bach even requested that he be the godfather of his son, Carl Philipp Emanuel.
Telemann lived an unusually long life (86 years), though it was not without its miseries. His first wife died young. His second ran up gambling debts in amounts larger than his annual income. Ultimately, his friends had to bail him out. As he grew older, he suffered further indignities, including failing eyesight.
Celebrated in his own day, by the 19th century he was dismissed as a “polygraph,” someone who had simply composed too much. In a sense, he was a victim of his own success.
Today, he inspires renewed enthusiasm among early music specialists, who have done much to restore his reputation. At the very least, he deserves a little recognition on his birthday.
Happy Birthday, Georg Philipp Telemann!
One of my favorite Telemann moments, the “Air à l’Italien” from the Suite in A Minor for Flute and Orchestra:
Always been partial to this one, too:
While we’re on the topic of Baroque masters, allow me to offer a gentle remind that we are now only a week away from Bach’s birthday. WWFM The Classical Network is looking to generate enough donations to cancel fundraising on March 21, so that we can all celebrate with just Bach’s music. To make it happen, we need 500 listeners to step up and contribute IN ANY AMOUNT. Once the 500 donations are reached, the focus will shift exclusively to the music.
Already the tally is at the halfway point. Contribute now, and become one of the “Bach 500.” Thank you for doing your part in making this campaign a success and in ensuring a home for great music from the Baroque and beyond, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org!
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