Georg Philipp Telemann

Georg Philipp Telemann (March 14th 1681 with Magdeburg - June 25th 1767 with Hamburg), was for its creative long period most famous German Compositeur of the period baroque. It strongly marked first half of the 18th century in its field, by innovations as well in the composition as in the glance related to the music.

Its life

Childhood and youth

Telemann is resulting from a cultivated family of Magdeburg; almost all its ancestors attended the university. His/her Heinrich father as well as the father of his Maria mother exerted an ecclesiastical function. Apart from his paternal great-grandfather, who had been a time Chef of chorus to the church, no other member of his family maintained a direct report/ratio with the music. Georg Philipp was the last of the three children who reached the adulthood.

Georg Philipp attends the college of the old city and the school of the cathedral of Magdeburg, where it receives an instruction in Latin, Rhétorique, Dialectique and German Poésie. For example to its vast general culture the German, French worms and Latin testify whom he wrote and published in his later autobiography. Moreover, Telemann controlled Italian and English until a advanced age.

At the time of Telemann, the public concerts was still unknown in Magdeburg, it is the laic music carried out at the school which supplemented the sacred music. In particular the school of the old city where music was regularly carried out had a great importance for the musical education of the city. It is as in the private schools smaller as he attended than Telemann learned how, only, to play of various instruments like the Violon, the Flûte, the Cithare and the Clavecin.

Telemann quickly shows a great musical talent and starts to compose its first pieces as of age the ten years, often in secrecy and on lent instruments. It owes its first founded musical experiments in its Kantor Benedikt Christiani. After only a few weeks of teaching of the song, it is able to replace its Master in the higher classes.

With share a teaching of harpsichord which lasts two weeks, Telemann taken forever course of music. His/her parents wanted rather to moderate his zeal. In particular his/her mother who, become widowed in 1685, disapproved her passion for the music, more especially as knowledge with it often had warning statement against the inferiority of the social status of the musician.

It is at twelve years that Telemann composed its first opera, Sigismundus , on a booklet of Christian Heinrich Postel. To divert Georg Philipp of a musical career, his/her mother confiscated all her instruments then and sent it, at the end of 1693 or at the beginning of 1694 at the school with Zellerfeld. She was unaware of then probably that the superintendent was Caspar Calvör there, impassioned by the writing of the music and who will require much Telemann. Almost each week, Telemann composed of the Motet S for the chorus of the church, and in parallel also of the Aria S, of the music of circumstance which it presented to Stadtpfeifer (municipal musicians).

In 1697, Telemann is pupil of the Gymnasium Andreanum with Hildesheim. Under the control of the chief Johann Christoph Losius, he perfect his musical instruction and learns, there too mainly as an autodidact, to play of the Recorder, of the Orgue, the Violon baroque, the Viola da gamba, the Flute, the Hautbois, the Chalumeau, the Contrebasse and the Trombone. In parallel, it composes of vocal works for the theater of the school and also for a book of school published in 1708 (" Geography chantante" , paternity however is discussed). Other orders of compositions for the service of the Sankt-Godehardi abbey had placed to him by the musical director Jésuite of the city Pater Crispus.

Telemann was also influenced by the musical life of the courses of Hanover and the principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Braunschweig), where it on the occasion to hear French and Italian instrumental music. The experiments accumulated at that time will mark most of its later work. Moreover, it becomes acquainted with the rather Italian styles of Rosenmüller, of Corelli, Caldara and Steffani.

Years of study in Leipzig

In 1701, Telemann is registered with the Université of Leipzig to study the Droit and, under the pressure of his/her mother, is committed dealing more with music. It is at least what he affirmed in his autobiography; however, the choice of the town of Leipzig, which was then the capital of the modern music, does not seem to be a chance. In way for Leipzig, Telemann makes halt with Halle to meet there Georg Friedrich Händel, then sixteen years old. A friendship was born which will last all the life. Telemann wrote that it initially hid its musical ambitions with its school-fellows. His/her comrade of room however found, by a fortunate coincidence, a composition in his hand luggage and made it carry out next Sunday with the Saint-Thomas church of Leipzig. The mayor of Leipzig then ordered from Telemann the composition of two Cantate S per month for the religious service.

In the year which followed its entry to the University, Telemann formed a Orchestre made up of 40 students music lovers (Collegium Musicum), who gave also public concerts. Contrary to other orchestras amateurs, Collegium will survive, under the same name, after the departure of Telemann. Later still under the direction of Johann Sebastian Bach, the " Collegium Musicum" télemanien will have a great influence on the musical life of the city.

Telemann seems to have continued its academic works but especially, in the same year, is named director of the Opera of Leipzig to the representations of which take part also much of members of Collegium and of which there will remain the principal type-setter until his closing. In addition to the representations, he played of the Basse continues and sang also occasionally. Irritated more and more by will have increasing of Telemann, the official municipal musical director Johann Kuhnau reproached him for having taken with its profane works a too great influence on the sacred music and refused to him, for the concerts of the opera, the collaboration of the chorus which it directed. In 1704, Telemann is engaged as musical director in Neukirche (new Church) of Leipzig, which was then the university church of the city. It discharges however place of holder of the organ related at this station on students. Telemann then did not have probably a choral society and wrote cantatas for soloists exclusively.

Telemann undertook two voyages to Berlin. In 1704, it receives from the count Erdmann II von Promnitz the proposal to succeed Wolfgang Caspar Printz like Kapellmeister at the court of Sorau in Silesia. The reason for which the attention of the count went on him remains unknown. After that the city, which appreciated its new style of composition, offered to Telemann the station of Kantor with Saint-Thomas for succcéder with Kuhnau. The tensions born between Kuhnau and Telemann perhaps encouraged it to leave Leipzig prematurely.

Sorau and Eisenach

In June 1705, Telemann begins its work with Sorau. The count was a large admiror of the French music and saw in Telemann a talented heir to the music school of Versailles of Lully and Campra and of which it had brought back some partitions of a voyage to France and that Telemann started to study. In Sorau, Telemann meets Erdmann Neumeister, of which it will put later the texts in music and which it will re-examine in Hamburg. At the time of voyages to Cracow and Pszczyna he learns how to appreciate the Polish folklore and Moravian, as he discovers as well in the inns as in public demonstrations. In 1706, Telemann leaves Sorau, threatened by the invasion of the Swedish army and goes to Eisenach, probably with a recommendation with the families of related Saxon princes to the counts Promnitz. There, it is named in December First violin and Kantor at the court of the Duke Johann Wilhelm and founded an orchestra.

It often made music with Pantaléon Hebenstreit. Moreover, it met the theorist and organist Wolfgang Caspar Printz like Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Jean-Sebastien Bach. It composed with Eisenach several concerts for various formations, between 60 and 70 Cantate S and as much of serenade S, of the sacred music, the Opérette S at the time of festivals. It wrote the text mainly alone in addition of it. With that is added some four or five last years required Cantate S in religious matter. It took part itself in the representation of its works as a baritone.

Telemann in October 1709 married Amalie Luise Juliane Eberlin, a courtesan of the Countess of Promnitz. Some time before it was named secretary of a Duke - an important function at the time. The woman of Telemann died only two years after their marriage, in January 1711, of Fièvre puerpérale after the birth of their daughter.

Frankfurt

Perhaps because it was with research new challenges to take up, perhaps not to have to depend on the aristocracy, Telemann postulated with Francfort-sur-le-Main. It was named there directing in February 1712 of music of the city. It completed its started profane cantata with Eisenach and composed five others of them. Moreover it was in charge of the courses of some pupils of private schools. Just like in Leipzig, it was not satisfied with these some activities. In 1713 he undertook to organize weekly concerts like various administrative tasks of very distinguished club " Gesellschaft Frauenstein". Moreover the court of Eisenach indicated it official leader, so that it can preserve this title but especially so that it continues to deliver cantatas and other musics profane and crowned. This situation lasted until 1731.

During its stay in Frankfurt, in addition to its cantatas, Telemann composed of the oratorios, the pieces for orchestra and Chamber music including one great part was published, as well as works for political festivals and of the serenades for marriage. However it did not find any occasion to make public its operas, which it however continued to write for the Opera of Leipzig.

In 1714 he married Maria Katharina Textor. During following years it published by itself its first works published. During a voyage to Gotha (small town of Thuringe) in 1716, the duke Frederic II of Saxony-Gotha proposed to him a place of leader. The duke not only promised to him to keep his activity of official choirmaster of the court of Eisenach, but it urged also the duke of Saxony-Weimar to ensure to him a possible place of leader. In this Telemann manner would have become to some extent choirmaster as a chief of all the courses of Saxony and Thuringe.

A letter addressed to the adviser of Frankfurt, in which Telemann posed an ultimatum (in polished terms however) concerning its wages, proved his talent of diplomat. It remained in Frankfurt and required a pay rise of 100 Florin S. Ainsi thanks to its incomes ensured by the " Frauenstein" company; and the fees perceived on its various compositions, Telemann made sure an annual salary of 1600 guilders, summons important for the time, thanks to which it rose with the row of the personalities best paid of Frankfurt.

During a stay with Dresden in 1719, it met Haendel again and dedicated to the violonist virtuoso Johann Georg Pisendel a series of parts for violin. Telemann parallel to continued to write works for Frankfurt every three years until 1757, after having left the city.

Arrival in Hamburg

But its use with life it finds it in 1721 as director of the five principal churches of Hamburg. Its celebrity is attested by the request that makes him the town of Leipzig occupy the station of cantor to the church and the St.Thomas school, employment which it gives up. This station is then taken by his/her friend Jean-Sebastien Bach. A study trip takes it along into 1737/1738 to Paris.

Its successor in Hamburg was his godson Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

Telemann wrote 3 autobiographies into 1718,1729 and 1740.

He was type-setter, but also printer and editor of his own music which he distributed in the form of subscription, becoming thus a precursor of the Copyright.)

Hamburg, place of a revival

Travel to Paris and end-of-life

Invited Paris by virtuosos of the City, it lived there eight month in 1737 and 1738. Paris accommodated Telemann with enthusiasm. Its works were carried out in its honor at the Court or the Concert of sacred music. Such sign, that the author realized that the edition of its quadri had been published in a version of better quality which the original, which justified for the author a royal privilege of royalties one twenty years duration old. One second series of quadri was published under the name of Quattuors Parisiens n° 7 to 12, and was carried out by the best instrumentalists of the time. These works were worth with the author a great admiration.

Actions and creations

Influence

Work

Its work is indexed in the “Telemann-Werke-Verzeichnis” (TWV). With more than 3600 works indexed, Telemann is one of the most productive type-setters of the history of the music. Telemann was with the mounting of all the innovations, and its music is much more tempting than erudite - contrary to JS Bach which was of his/her friends - but one is obliged to imagine that he thought in particular of him when he spoke about his colleagues “ who contrepointent with car-larigot ”…

more than 600 continuations for orchestra, sinfonias, concertos, sonatas, duets, trios, quartets, serenades, of the music for harpsichord and orgue ;
more than 40 opera S and many intermezzi ;
at least 145 Cantata S of churches, 15 masses, 22 psalms, more than 40 passion S, 6 Oratorio S, and of the Motet S to 8 voix ;
of the profane cantatas, the odes, the guns, the songs, etc

Having achieved perfectly the fusion of the styles Italian, French and German with the gallant Style, Telemann is the principal one representing pre-classicism in music, and its last works, whereas he was octogenarian, are turned towards the future.

Known works

Music of Table (in three productions)
the “Wassermusik”
4 Parisian Quartets

Instrumental works

Crowned vocal works

Profane vocal works

Theoretical works

Reception

Reputation of alive sound

Change of the musical design

Systematic slandering

Attempts at rehabilitation

Telemann today

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