“My name is Georg Philipp Telemann, and I am a composer, A POET, A PUBLISHER, AND a gardener.”
A Tempesta In Focus project
During the Fall of 2017, Tempesta curated and produced Telemann 360°, a (re)discovery of baroque Germany’s favorite composer, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767). Through ear-opening performances of orchestral and chamber music, a mixed-discipline talkshow, and pop-up events in Philadelphia gardens, pubs, museums and boats we put the depth and breadth of baroque Germany’s most revered composer on full display. We explored the surprising connections of Telemann’s time to today’s and 18th-century Philadelphia. Tempesta performed the modern premieres of recent Telemann rediscoveries. Audiences tried their hand at printing, and joined us on a Telemann-themed cruise down the river to Bartram’s Garden. And we enjoyed a specially brewed Telemann lager.
Composer
Telemann, whose music was admired in his lifetime in every corner of Europe, and whom contemporaries called “the peerless master”, is making a grand new entrance in Philadelphia during Telemann 360°. Tempesta performs Telemann’s rarely heard concerti-suites for orchestra, quartets, and trios from the libraries of his most discerning friends and peers, plus some fresh rediscoveries, one of which was performed in colonial Pennsylvania during Telemann’s lifetime!
Publisher
In early 18th-century Germany, music publishing was an industry in decline. Music was expensive to print and distribution networks were limited, leading to high sales prices. Following the example of industry innovators in Amsterdam and London, Telemann adopted newer printing techniques and better distribution networks, earning himself a fortune selling his music throughout Europe and to the New World, including Philadelphia.
Gardener
“I am insatiable where hyacinths and tulips are concerned, greedy for ranunculi, and especially for anemones,” wrote Telemann in a letter. Find flowers and plants from his 1742 Hamburg flower garden, plus scores of others he traded with the leading botanists of Europe and possibly even the New World, in fine Philadelphia gardens.
Poet
A brilliant and prolific writer himself, Telemann embraced avant-garde poetry and did a lot to support young poets late in his own life. He favored the new poetry by Brockes, Klopstock and Rammler, and commissioned them for his vocal works. “Untranslatables” explores connections of words found in this poetry, high jinks of translation and some new poetry, too.
Related Blog Articles
Telemann & Dresden
Getting the music out
T-Journal: Fire & Invention
T-Journal: Concerto
T-Journal: New Telemann
T-Journal: Lancaster, PA
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