Georg Philipp Telemann

Quartett aus Tafelmusik 1 TWV 43:G 2

While he was still considered one of the greatest musicians of his time, Telemann’s star faded over the course of the 19th century in the overwhelming shadow of Bach and Handel, to the point of being largely disregarded. This assessment changed radically over the course of the last century. Through the systematic exploration of his work, the one-sided view of him as merely an instrumental composer has expanded to reveal a highly educated, culturally well-connected, and artistically versatile personality who had a decisive influence on the musical life of his time. What stands out time and again in his works is an individual approach that, on both a grand and a modest scale, seems to depart from the musical conventions of his time.

The *Tafelmusik* (*Musique de Table*), a three-part collection of chamber music works for various instrumentations, is perhaps Telemann’s most famous musical creation. Composed in 1733, the *Tafelmusik* illustrates Telemann’s skill in handling a wide variety of musical genres and instruments.