Commentaries

Prominent artistic personalities comment on their personal relationship to Georg Philipp Telemann.

Do you remember your first encounter with Telemann or do you combine a special experience with his music?
After a B major duet from the “Faithful Music Master” (“Getreuen Music Meister”), which I whistled as a 9-year-old with my flute teacher (I still have this score!), it was the C major suite with the three solo oboe, played by Winschermann and the “German Bach Soloists”, which fascinated me enormously! I was merely fascinated by the tirades of the violins, which each time led up and down to the void and also from the “Harlequinade" and the “Sommeil”. Whenever I am conducting this work, 45 years of age are dropped from me, and I am trying to convey the enthusiasm of a little boy for the enchanting art to the orchestras: I succeed in most cases!

What of Telemann’s compositions would you take with you to the legendary desert island?
What can I do on the lonely island with “Telemann”? Sing for the turtles or eve the trees? I’d travel to the lonely island completely without Telemann, on the one hand I have enough of it in my head, on the other hand I would - if it is absolutely necessary to go to the desert island – have a rest from Telemann & all those syndicate members. However, I could only do hard without my Titanic subscription and the FAZ with their daily real-satire reports.

What would you like to talk about with Telemann over a glass of wine?
No special questions, Your Honor! If he like to, he could tell me something about his life, I can listen very well ...

What does Telemann have that other’s do not?
Charm, wit, lightness, distance, Francoisité ... actually streaks which you only find properly in the classical period and especially around Haydn’s era.

_{[Source: Telemann aus Magdeburg. 50 Jahre betont. Program of the Magdeburg Telemann Festival, 9.-18. March 2012, page 145.]}