Telemann – Wassermusik – Suites & Concertos

Description

Contemporain de Bach mais de quatre ans son aîné, Georg-Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) fut souvent plus estimé en son temps que le Cantor de Leipzig, son ami et parfois son rival. Lui-même eut l’heureuse initiative, entre 1718 et 1739, d’écrire trois autobiographies qui nous renseignent autant sur sa personnalité que sur ses activités : il cumula les plus variées avec une prodigieuse vitalité. Étudiant en droit et en lettres à Leipzig, organiste et maître de chapelle de plusieurs cours et églises allemandes. Musicien d’église et musicien de théâtre, il dirigea l’Opéra de Hambourg et organisa la vie musicale de cette ville, fondateur du premier journal musical allemand et du premier concert public allemand, le Collegium Musicum de Leipzig, Telemann trouva encore le temps de surveiller l’édition de sa musique. Son œuvre est tellement vaste – il toucha à tous les genres -, que lui-même se disait incapable d’en dresser le catalogue !

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was contemporary with Bach, though four years his eider, and in his time he was often held in higher esteem than the Cantor of Leipzig, his friend and sometimes his rival. Between 1718 and 1739, and to out pleasure, he wrote three autobiographies which tell us as much about his personality as about his activities: the latter were extremely varied; he did many different things at once and with prodigious vitality. He studied Iaw and literature in Laipzig, he was an organist and Kapellmeister at several German courts and churches, he composed for the church and the uieetre, was musical director of the Hamburg Opera and organised musical life in the city; he was founder of the first German music review and the first German public concert, the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. And he still found time to keep an eye on the publication of his music. His œuvre is so vast – he kept his hand at every genre – that he declared he himself was incapable of drawing up a catalogue!