Classical

Georg Philipp Telemann: A Prolific, Well Liked Baroque Composer

There were two Georg Telemanns: Georg Phillipp and Georg Michael, who was his lesser known grandson.

Georg Philipp Telemann, who is featured in this post, was born in 1681 in what now is Germany. He was a composer of Baroque music who played many instruments. Telemann entered the world of music against his family’s wishes.

But once he began his musical career, he didn’t stop. Telemann was, according to the profile at Wikipedia, “one of the most prolific composers in history” and was favorably compared to George Frideric Handel and to Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach must not have felt a sense of competition: He made Telemann the Godfather of one of his children.

At the end of the long profile, Wikipedia notes that Telemann set an early precedent by pursuing exclusive rights for the publication of his work.

A baroque music site – its name is not clear – describes in another long essay precisely what Telemann did. He excelled in the orchestral suite. That is described as the “Ouverture” and the dance movements that follow. Telemann was said by a contemporary critic to have been responsible for the growth of this form in Germany. It originated with the French, the critic said, but Telemann surpassed them in his execution. Orchestral suites apparently were only one type of music he composed.

On a more human level, the profile says that Telemann’s rise to wealth and fame were partly due to a very good sense of humor and a likable personality.

Above is the Flute Sonata in G Major. Marta Femenía is the flutist and Nikolay Shalamov is the pianist. Below is the Concerto for 3 Violins F Major. The violinists are Dmitry Sinkovsky, Riccardo Minasi and Alina Pogostkina.

Our New Things: Links to Music Sites and Info on Analog Tech and Vinyl

TDMB has focused on music and musicians. We will continue to do that, of course. We're also expanding our coverage to include vinyl and analog equipment.

More specifically, we'll look at this huge and interesting world from the perspective of music lovers who want a better experience, not committed non-audiophiles.

Check out is some of what we've written so far:

-- Assessing the Value of Vinyl Records: An Overview

-- 7 Quick Tips on Optimizing Your Turntable Cartridge

-- Why Vinyl Records Continue to Thrive

-- Finding the Best Amplifier

-- Finding the Best Phono Preamp

-- What Speakers Do I Need for My Turntable?

Check out more articles on analog equipment and vinyl.

The site also is home to The Internet Music Mapping Project, an effort to list and describe as many music-related sites as possible.

Our Music

--A Tribe Called Quest to The Dick Hyman Trio (In other words, A to H)

--Indigo Girls to Queen Ida (I to Q)

--Radiohead to ZZ Top (R to Z)

Reading Music

The stories of the great bands and musicians are fascinating. Musicians as a group are brilliant, but often troubled. The combination of creativity and drama makes for great reading.

Here are some books to check out.

Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.

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What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.

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The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").

David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.

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