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Georg Philipp Telemann

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43K views 149 replies 65 participants last post by  thejewk  
#1 ·
Well now... looks like I have to make a new thread here....

I just finished listening to the 'Quatuors Parisiens' (TVW 43) 1-6 for the first time. Nice.

I am a little stunned to read the following statement on Wiki: "Often described as the most prolific composer in history..."

Really? I barely know the man. Looks like I have some work to do.

SO - anyone have any comments on 'Tafelmusik'. That could be the next thing I look to add to the queue. Laugh... those Germans... they have no shame when it comes to smashing nouns together to make new words. You know... 'Götterfunken' and all that... :p

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Philipp_Telemann

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#2 ·
I have the Tafelmusik played by Musica Amphion on the Brilliant label, & enjoy it for its freshness, vitality and variety. Telemann's music gives me lots of pleasure, but I feel that if I'd heard the Paris quartes first I may never have followed up my interest in this first-rate composer; so far, they just don't grab me like many of his other works do.
There's a 5-CD set on Capriccio that's well worth a look.
 
#4 ·
#6 ·
I love Telemann music. I'm afraid with so many pieces and so many different ways of cataloging them, I loose track of what I already have and they all start to blend together -- though they are no more repetitive than any other baroque. (I never bought into the old saying that Vivaldi wrote one great concerto -- 500 times.)

My favorite Telemann piece (that I have heard of course) is something about a Suite for flute (or two flutes, 2 oboes, bassoon) and continuo in some key or other. The trouble is I can never find it, not sure if it's in my collection now, even. That's one good thing you can say about pop music - you can at least remember the the names of the pieces.

Anyway, if you happen upon any of the suites for various instrument combinations outside of Tafelmusik (a.k.a overtures), they are quite good too. The man was brilliant.
 
#8 ·
I just got my set of tafelmusic in. Going to give it a listen....

(rubbing hands together in greedy anticipation...)

I see, by the way, that this is on the 'Brilliant Classics' label... these people (again) appear to put out some quality product at very attractive prices.
 
#11 ·
Tafelmusik

SO over the last week I have listened to all of Telemans Tafelmusic a several times. For me, thats quite a bit, since there is about 4.5 hours of it.

It really is very good. I particularly like the concertos and quartets that feature trumpet and oboe. I hate to use the term 'light'... perhaps ebulliant or bouyant is more accurate, but it is not too overwhelming and does indeed make fantastic 'table music'. There is just enough Dolce/Adante/Grave pieces to keep it from wearing you down. The ever present harpsichord throughout does (to me) get a little challenging - but I can see this is going to become one of the pieces of music that I will reach for often.

It made for a fantastic background to our Thanksgiving day festivities, and you can just let the entire thing play straight through.

Anyone else think that the first Quartet in part 1 (G major) sounds quite a bit like Handels Royal Fireworks or Watermusic? Not as majestic no doubt, but to me it seems quite similar.
 
#12 ·
help with Telemann please!

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can help. I have this CD of Telemann's complete Trio sonatas for violin, flute and BC and also Oboe, recorder and BC. It is on a double CD on the Brilliant Classics label and the performers are Biondi and Tripla Concordia...

Does anyone else have it? If you do or you have the following Trio Sonata by Telemann - TWV 42 d10 could you tell me what key is it in? I got this Cd from a friend and I found the info on Amazon as well as two other sites but it says it is in D Major but just listen to it. It is clearly in a Minor key. (This is what you would call a definition of **** :) )

Maybe you know why it is misnamed. Did Telemann do things like this? Maybe you have a CD booklet explaining.

A bit of a curiosity.

Thanks!

Jai
 
#17 ·
The new Telemann fan page

Since I can't find the old one. Perhaps my favorite earlier composer after CPE Bach, and I'm just getting started with him. I'm learning first keyboard Fantasias(Fantasies?) in D major/B minor and D minor/not sure yet, nice little irregular pearls that they are. I almost consider Telemann the definition of baroque, he's the poster composer for me of that period, and don't be offended, I still love Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Corelli, Purcell and others, its just that to me Telemann is what baroque is all about.

Taffelmusik in B flat major, the overture suite is what first got me really into Telemann. I heard Ton Kupmann(spelling his name phonetically) perform it live at the Seattle symphony and almost liked it better than the CPE Bach they performed.

I'm also a huge fan of his flute/recorder fantasias, being a recorder player. I'll eat up any Telemann you throw my way.
 
#23 ·
I'm also a huge fan of his flute/recorder fantasias, being a recorder player. I'll eat up any Telemann you throw my way.
I have this :

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his sonatas for two recorders (without bass continuo), played by Michala Petri and Elisabeth Selin for RCA, CD released 1990. Well, I'm not a recorder player and can not say anything about this recording, but always enjoy listening to these sonatas.
 
#19 ·
My favorite Telemann piece is his Suite for flute (or recorder) in A minor. For some reason I enjoy the transverse flute a bit more than the recorder. The recorder can sound wonderfully lacy and antique, but often sounds out of tune to me. I wonder why.

I almost wish Telemann had not been so prolific. I have trouble remembering and cataloging specific pieces. Some CD's will call a piece part of Tafelmusik, while another will just call it a sonata, and still another may put a TWV number along with it. It's very frustrating.
 
#21 ·
Nice thread. I enjoy Telemann's music. I think he was particularly fine when it came to instrumental music, be it the multi-movement concerto, orchestral suites or various chamber pieces such as trios and quartets. The record label CPO is releasing his violin concertos under Elizabeth Wallfisch (Baroque violin) with a period instrument band. Also on that label features numerous of his vocal music, in particular cantatas and passions (all done by period instrument groups).

I cannot help but reiterate how wonderful these pieces come through under experienced HIP bands.

 
#30 · (Edited)
Right now I'm enjoying one of his most charming cantatas. This time around he didn't take it very easy on the flute player. And the recitative is marvelous, even better than Bach's recitatives in my opinion, because his turns are at times more modally and tonally novel, and spaced better too. The lilting melody really does give compliments to the period between late Baroque and Classical (the Rococo).


http://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/u...s/usimg/f/f0/IMSLP93765-PMLP192089-gs11-08-1-13m_Seele__lerne_dich_erkennen.pdf
 
#31 ·
I don't know much Telemann, but I heard the Darmstadt Overtures (Suites) recording with Helmut Muller-Bruhl on Naxos years ago and remember really loving it.

I've been getting more into Baroque age classical lately and I just picked up the 29CD Telemann Edition from Brilliant Classics and am looking forward to diving into it.