Page 108 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained
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TELEMANN IS ABOVE
ALL PRAISE
MUSIQUE DE TABLE (1733),
GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN
he demand for Tafelmusik evening’s entertainment and
IN CONTEXT (table music)—background contains meticulously crafted
T music for banquets—grew music that is always memorably
FOCUS steadily from the mid-16th century melodious—even evoking popular
Tafelmusik
onward. Musique de table, a folk songs at times.
BEFORE collection of such music by Georg Handel, who was among the
1650 Joachim von Sandrart’s Philipp Telemann, a prolific collection’s 206 subscribers,
painting Das Friedensmahl German composer who relished appears to have borrowed some of
(“The peace meal”) depicts the assimilation and mastery its musical ideas. Themes in his
musicians performing of different musical styles, draws oratorio The Arrival of the Queen of
Tafelmusik at a banquet for together a range of chamber genres Sheba bear resemblance to material
a diplomatic conference. that lent themselves to Tafelmusik. from the Concerto in the second
Telemann marketed the collection “production” of Musique de table. ■
1680s Printed collections of as a prestige product that could be
Tafelmusik, mostly by German purchased by subscription.
composers of the day, become Telemann’s collection divides
more common. into three “productions,” each one
containing an orchestral dance
AFTER suite, a concerto, a quartet, a trio
1770s The genre of Tafelmusik sonata, and solo sonata, finishing He [Telemann] could
is gradually replaced by other with an orchestral “conclusion.” write a church piece in
types of “light” musical Apart from the dance suites, eight parts with the
entertainment such as the considerable use is made of the same expedition another
divertimento and serenade. slow-fast-slow-fast four-movement would write a letter.
pattern of the traditional Sonata da George Frideric Handel
1820 An engraving by Johann Chiesa (a genre of instrumental
Wunder depicts a performance chamber or orchestral music
of Tafelmusik at a municipal sometimes performed at church
banquet in “Krähwinkel”—an services). Each “production”
invented place name intended provides enough music for an
to suggest old-fashioned,
small-town parochialism. See also: Corelli’s Concerti Grossi 80–81 ■ Water Music 84–89 ■ The Four
Seasons 92–97 ■ C.P.E. Bach’s Flute Concerto in A major 120–121
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