TELEMANN – SUITE in A MINOR – AIR A L’ITALIEN

THE COMPOSER

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 – 1767), was a self-taught musician and a multi-instrumentalist. Initially he worked on a career in law, but decided at university that his life should be in music. Causing friction within his family, this was the first clear indication that Telemann was quite a rebel!

He was a contemporary and friend of the composer J S Bach and indeed was offered a high ranking musical position in Leipzig in preference to Bach. A highly prolific composer, he was also fascinated in the process of printing his music (this Sonata was first published in a fortnightly journal created by Telemann in 1728, Der getreue Music-Meister). In many ways, he was the world’s first dedicated classical music entrepreneur.

Whilst Telemann will always be remembered for his exquisite compositions, he was not so lucky in love. His first wife died just a few months after they were married and his second wife (with whom he had 9 children) had affairs and nearly bankrupted the family with her gambling debts!

On 25th June 1767, after a period of poor health, he died from breathing/chest issues.

THE PIECE

Probably from the 1st decade of the 18th century, but not published until 1936, little is known about this intriguing suite, originally for recorder. However, when it was finally published, flute players leapt at the opportunity to perform it and claimed it to be as much for the flute as it was for the recorder!

The whole suite is s series of dances, Italian, French and with even some Polish influences in there with a Polonaise.

The music is in the key of A minor, which I have always considered to be quite a stately and powerful key (J S Bach’s solo Partita springs to mind).

The Air is unusual from the point of view that it has a central fast section (in a typical Telemann like recorder style), which returns to the opening largo, where ornamentation of the melody would normally be expected.

The allegro gives performer the opportunity to show off their technical ability, with yo-yoing broken arpeggio motifs and then extended passages sweeping from the top octave of the instrument down and then back up again.

The beautiful melody is interrupted with notes that at that time would have been considered close to dissonant (Telemann clearly enjoyed playing with his audiences expectations and occasionally shocking them!).

It is great fun to play, but it also has some awkward moments, in particular in the finger department.