Georg Philipp Telemann Research Paper

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Georg Philipp Telemann
“In the eyes of his 18th-century contemporaries, Georg Philipp Telemann was the greatest living composer,” stated by Britannica.com. Georg was among the numerous great artists throughout music history and is recognized worldwide for his sacred and secular church compositions. His extraordinary musical talents and abilities have aided in shaping today’s culture and has influenced the works of many musicians after him.
On March 14th, 1681, Georg Philipp Telemann was born to Maria Haltmeier and Heinrich Telemann in Magdeburg, Germany. Being the son of a Protestant minister in an age where composing music failed at being a successful career, Georg was highly discouraged to live out his dream. Although his family was strongly against him pursuing a career in music and refused to pay for lessons, he taught himself at the age of ten how to play the violin, flute, zither, recorder, oboe, and keyboard. He later composed his first opera, Sigismundus, within the following two years. While his family clearly realized his talents, they still opposed, driving him to work even harder.
Upon his mother’s desperate plea, Georg attended Leipzig University as an upcoming law student in 1701. While at the university, he composed more music and presented them at Collegium Musicum, a center created for concerts and recitals. By 1703 he …show more content…

After many years, he landed a job at the Hamburg Opera House composing music and directing it as well. Despite his long, successful employment there, he released a piece that was found to be controversial to the city fathers and elders. Knowing that they would be forced to give in, he threatened to take a job offer at the Leipzig Thomaskirche, where he had been chosen over good friends Handel and Bach. Subsequent to this affair, Telemann therefore continued to produce music there and eventually earned a raise in pay and improved the overall status of the opera

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