I'm listening to a recording Telemann's Die Donner-Ode cantata, and I think it's wonderfully bombastic, doesn't shy in comparison with Bach best cantatas, IMO. It kinda reminds me of Bach's Tönet, ihr pauken! in it's jubilant grandiosity, though that one of course is a secular cantata, you can't really say Telemann reaches (or even aims for) the sublime spirituality of Bach's religious choral works here.
Can you recommend me some other vocal/choral works by Telemann? I'm only familiar with his instrumental works, which I like, but Die Donner-Ode made me want to check out the other stuff too.
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 23 April 2014 22:10 (ten years ago) link
I saw a two-character opera of his last year, Pimpinonne, which was both beautiful to listen to and great fun. Produced in a fairly intimate space (200 seats or so.)
Review here:http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/stage/23330285-421/another-forgotten-gem-presented-with-haymarket-operas-usual-polish.html
― That's So (Eazy), Thursday, 24 April 2014 00:06 (ten years ago) link
Hmm, that sounds cool, and it looks like it's been recorded a couple of times, but I'm generally wary of buying opera CDs, since they're obviously missing the whole visual aspect.
About Telemann in general: Bach is still my favourite composer of all time, but I feel that the rediscovery of his music by Mendelssohn et al has maybe unjustly overshadowed Telemann's oeuvre, since they worked in the same era and roughly within the same idioms. (Which of course is a total reversal of how things were when they were alive, as Telemann was by far more famous and acclaimed back then.) Or am I wrong about this?
― Tuomas, Thursday, 24 April 2014 11:27 (ten years ago) link
No love for Georg Phillipp here?
― Tuomas, Friday, 25 April 2014 13:52 (ten years ago) link
No?
― Tuomas, Thursday, 15 May 2014 14:24 (nine years ago) link