THE NEW AEOLIAN PLAYERS:
Joseph Slater (flute) ; Jean Pougnet (violin); Rebecca Clarke (viola) ;
Angus Morrison (pianoforte)
FABIA DRAKE (reader) FABIA DRAKE Music's Duel, by Richard Crashaw The Song of Honour, by Ralph Hodgson
George Philip Telemann was contemporary with Bach, born a little before and dying several years later than his more illustrious colleague. Not, however, more illustrious in their day, for Telemann then was ranked far above Bach in general estimation. He has now fallen far behind, but, as a matter of fact, much of his music is well worth revival. i
Telemann was the son of a clergyman and was educated at Magdeburg and - Hildesheim. He appears to have had no regular musical training, but acquired a remarkable technique for composition by means of studying the music of the leading composers of his time, such as Lully. He was an extraordinarily facile ; and fluent composer, and Handel said he could write a motet in eight parts as easily as anyone else could write a letter.
Bach's output was, as we know, enormous, but that of Telemann was very nearly twice as much; a statement that would appear incredible were it not a known fact. With this fatal facility, and lacking the depths of thought and the genius of Bach, the greater part of Telemann's church music has passed into limbo, though one or two of his Passions survived his death for many years. But he left his mark on the music of the Church in Germany for a long time following his death, and much of its shallowness over that period is held to be traceable to him-for Bach was for the time being forgotten, and his influence for good came much later.
Telemann's chamber music, however, in the few examples that are now played, is as well made and entertaining as was most music of the kind in the early eighteenth century.