Telemann: a biographical sketch (1/2)
Born in Magdeburg in 1681, Georg Philipp Telemann showed considerable musical talent as a child and played the violin, the flute, the zither and keyboard. By the age of twelve, he had already composed an opera (Sigismundus), much to the dismay of his family who strongly disapproved of music. Georg Philipp’s will was stronger than all the negative energy surrounding his musical practice though and he relentlessly perfected his playing and his compositional skills, partly by transcribing works by Agostino Steffani, Johann Rosenmüller, Corelli and Antonio Caldara.
To his mother’s insistence, Telemann studied law at Leipzig University but, soon enough a career in music became the only possible path. While at the University, he founded the student Collegium Musicum with which he gave public concerts, an ensemble that Johann Sebastian Bach was later to direct. He also wrote operas for the Leipzig Theater, and in 1703 became musical director of the Leipzig Opera.
Two years later, he was appointed Kapellmeister to the court of Count Erdmann II of Promnitz at Sorau (now Zary). The proximity of the court to Berlin and contact with Polish folk music all proved very stimulating for the young composer but Telemann’s tenure was cut short by the imminent prospect of invasion by the Swedish army.
He then moved to Eisenach and his appointment there just overlapped with the presence of Bach. After his wife’s sudden death in 1711, he took up duties as Director of Municipal Music and also as Kapellmeister of the Barfüßerkirche in Frankfurt-am-Main. He composed occasional music for civic ceremonies, church cantatas, oratorios, orchestral music and a wealth of chamber music.