Telemann: Kleine Kammermusik, Der getrueue Music-Meister (excerpts)

Die Kleine Kammermusik consists of six partitas (or suites) each of which is in six movements. Each partita opens with a slow movement, all except one of whích are designated simply “con affetto,” or ‘adagio’” (Partitas 1 and 3). Although a partita is made up of several dances, most of the movements of the six suites in Die Kleine Kammermusik are designated “aria.” Those who performed the music when it was first published, however, imme diately recognized the fact that the fifth aria from partita No. 2 is a bourrée, the first aria from No. 3 is a gavotte and so on. While most of the “’arias’” are dances, there are several which are not only in the nature of abstract music, they are virtually highly concentrated types of orchestral movements. Such movements as the "grave: of No. 4, the ‘andante” of No. 5 and the “aria 5” of No. 6 are more characteristic of orchestral music than of the chamber suite. In each of these movements, Telemann’s counterpoint is somewhat more involved than in most of the dances. The "grave” of No. 4 is especially interesting because the ex- pressive melody with which it opens is really the subject of a miniature two-part fugue between the melody and bass. 

One of Telemann’s most unusual undertakings occurred at this time. This was the first of twenty-five four-page music publications, which he called “Der getreue Musik meister” (The Faithful Music-master). Each of these leaflets contained compositions by Telemann and various other composers. These works, which included instrumental and vocal compositions, were written with the musical amateur in mind so that the pieces were interesting enough to please the professional musician but not too difficult for the average home music-maker. These publications had an interesting “cliff-hang” feature in that one composition was only printed in part, “to be concluded’” in the following issue. In his old age Telemann divided his life between two great loves; music and flowers. In some of his letters from 1742, he writes that he is “insatiable where hyacinths and tulips are concerned, greedy for ranunculi, and especially for anemones.” There is warmth and charm in a note on one of his songs written in 1762 (at the age of 81) when he was regarded as one of Germany’s leading composers: “With an ink too thick, with foul pens, with bad sight, in gloomy weather, under a dim lamp I have composed these pages. Do not scold me!"