composer-showcase

Georg Philipp Telemann

The prolific and multi-faceted composer Georg Philpp Telemann became the most highly respected German composer of his day. But his prominence has been obscured by the fame of his two contemporaries J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel. More recently, Telemann’s music has experienced its own revival. A reexamination of his enormous output has provided greater insight into his contributions to music and secured for him a well-deserved place in music history.

In contrast to Bach’s technical mastery, much of Telemann’s music is less complex and somewhat lighter in character. This was seen in Telemann’s day as an advantage. Indeed he was praised in written accounts for his lack of excess—meaning, in essence, not writing like Bach. But this became a clear detriment to Telemann’s reputation when, later, Bach’s star began to rise.

Contributing to the problem, Telemann produced perhaps the largest body of music of any composer in history. Some of his works have been lost, but many more survive. The sheer volume of works has delayed or discouraged scholars from forming a complete assessment.

Many now believe that a direct comparison of Bach and Telemann largely misses the point. Bach responded to the demands of his employment, sometimes as a court musician and more often as a church musician, and he satisfied the demands of his employers while exercising his own enormous intellect. Telemann held a more advantageous position vis a vis his employers. He had more options and better connections. More fundamentally, he had different goals, the prime one being his desire to bring music to the public, to give them greater access to public performances and to enjoy music in their homes.

Telemann’s popularity rested in no small part on his decision to self-publish. Printed music was not in ready supply, but by self-publishing, Telemann managed to spread his music far and wide. Telemann was also largely self-taught and had a natural sympathy for amateur musicians. Some of the “lack of excess” in his music catered to this broad class of potential consumers.

None of this, however, suggests that Telemann was a second-rate talent or that he “dumbed down” his music. On the contrary, Telemann’s music shows the highest level of technical proficiency. He mastered virtually every genre of German Baroque music and the highest forms of French and Italian styles. He also studied folk styles and incorporated them into his music. He broke the bonds that had confined composers to the narrow demands of their employment—holding church, court, and theater appointments simultaneously while organizing public concerts of whatever music he chose.

Telemann

Personal Data

Dates: 1681-1767

Born: Magdeburg, Germany

Residences: Magdeburg, Leipzig, Sorau, Eisenach, Frankfurt, Hamburg

Friday Performance Picks: Works by Telemann

No. 59: Viola Concerto in G Major

No 297: Overture “Burlesque de Quixotte”

Telemann Timeline

We cannot hope to cover the breadth of Telemann’s musical career on this page, but can sample only a few select works. We have chosen to focus on one of his Ouverture-Suites as an introduction to his music.

The Baroque Suite was one of the most popular instrumental forms in Telemann’s time. Of course, no one called it a “Baroque suite” because the term baroque was applied by historians much later to this time period. “Suite” generally refers to a collection of musical works and, in the Baroque era, that frequently meant a collection of dances.

The importance of court dance in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods can hardly be overstated. We have written extensively in our courses and other materials about the prime example, Louis XIV (1638-1715), and how he organized court life around dance. Numerous dance forms were invented, imported, and refined, and each had its own specific steps and musical character. Some were rooted in divergent folk traditions.

The music for these dances gradually took on a life of its own, moving from the dance floor to the concert stage. Musicians would perform a series of dances in the same key in whatever order they chose, drawing from various sources and possibly multiple composers. Composers began to take control by designating certain dances to played in a certain order and possibly tying them together thematically. The suite was born. Numerous variations were possible with dozens of dance forms available for use, but a standard set developed comprised of the Allemande, Courante, Saraband, and Gigue. Composers regularly added or substituted other dance forms. And they gave a variety of names to their suites. They might call them partitas or sonatas or designate them as English or French. They often included an opening prelude or overture.

This multi-movement form of instrumental music would lead to the development of the classical symphony in the mid 18th century.

Telemann, who composed prolifically over a long lifespan, composed many dozens of suites. Although he continued to write in a Baroque style, the Classical era was beginning to take shape around him. (At the time of Telemann’s death, Haydn was busy writing symphonies and Mozart was busy being a child prodigy.) And whereas Telemann’s contemporary J. S. Bach is seen as the culmination—the peak—of Baroque composition, Telemann is seen as something of a bridge to the Classical era.

Now let us take a close look at one of Telemann’s most popular suites. 

Ouverture-Suite in G Major TWV 55:G2 "La Bizarre"

Telemann wrote the work in four parts. As was common for this time period, he did not specify the instrumentation. Baroque works virtually always have a basso continuo foundation–the combination of a melodic bass instrument and harpsichord or lute to fill out the harmony.

View the score here.

Ouverture

Typical of Telemann, this suite opens an overture. The form, often called a “French Overture,” was established by the Italian opera composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, who worked in the French court of Louis XIV. It consists of two main parts: a slow introduction characterized by dotted rhythms and a fast contrapuntal or fugal section. (The overture to Handel’s Messiah is an excellent example of the form.)

Throughout the first section, we hear the dotted rhythms in all parts except the alto, which provides a flowing obligato in contrast. This section is repeated with the flutes added. The energetic contrapuntal section features a return to slow dotted rhythms toward the end—an elaboration of the typical French Overture form. This second section is then repeated, again with flutes added.

Now we turn to the courante, a somewhat fast dance in triple meter.

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