Musikalische werke georg philipp telemann biography

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Sorau/Zary, 1705-1706 

Erdmann Count Promnitz, a courtier of the Polish King (and Saxon Elector) August the Strong, summoned Telemann to Sorau. His talent then finally took wing: As a singer, conductor, and composer, he made extensive contributions to the Leipzig Opera. He moved to Frankfurt early in the following year as director of music and Kapellmeister to the Barfüsserkirche and Katharinenkirche, for which he composed at least five cantata cycles.

Telemann also revitalized the Collegium Musicum in Hamburg and built up an active public musical life with it and with renowned singers. He also reactivated the Collegium Musicum of the Frauenstein Society, for which he also became an economic administrator and director of events. He approached Italian concerto models with equal freddom.

Evidence exists for 29, though only nine of these have survived intact. Most of his cantatas are for solo voice and small instrumental ensembles and are modest in scope but his Die Tageszeiten (‘The Seasons’, 1757) is a cycle of four solo cantatas, each for a different voice. His ensemble concertos effectively implement the ritornello principle and are more expansive and thematically unified.

But even here, his musical talent was quickly recognized and fostered: Telemann played the organ in St. Salvatoris Church, conducted the church choir, and composed! He was granted publishing privileges, issuing several works including his Nouveaux quatuors TWV43. In 1709 Telemann married Amalie Louise Juliane Eberlin. However, he was unable to remain faithful to his resolution to no longer give priority to music for long.

In July 1721 Telemann was appointed Kantor of the Johanneum Lateinschule in the prosperous city of Hamburg and became musical director of that city’s five largest churches. Moving to Eisenach (c. 1708), where he met Johann Sebastian Bach, he composed French-style instrumental music and German-style sacred music. His unaccompanied works comprise flute fantasias (1732–3), a viola da gamba sonata (1728) and 12 Fantasias for violin (1735), the last six of which also look towards the ‘galant’ style.

She had wished that he would later takeup a “reputable” profession.

Clausthal-Zellerfeld, 1694-1701

To "deprive him of the poison of music" (as Telemann himself jokingly put it later), the 13-year-old Georg Philipp was sent to Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the Harz Mountains. These were provided, among other things, by the opera and by numerous representative events for council and citizens.

Telemann’s first two sets of six sonatas for violin and continuo (1715, 1718) were modelled largely on those by Corelli. His father, Heinrich Telemann, was a preacher at the Heilig-Geist-Kirche. Soon afterward, he took over the same function for the St. Catherine's Church. Tragedy struck in 1711 with the death of his wife, following the birth of their first child.

He moved to Gotha (1717) and then Hamburg (1721), where he served as musical director of the Opera (1722–38), for which he wrote several dozen Italian-influenced works. It seems that this contact had lasting consequences, as Telemann's mother Maria was genuinely shocked by her son's strong musical tendencies, which had already become apparent at an early age.