Musical Gem of the Week #1
Due to the great irregularity of my post frequency, I have decided to bring upon myself the task of a weekly series of posts. Having considered a few potential topics, I came to the conclusion that some posts on particular (extraordinary) pieces of music in my (sizable collection). By extraordinary, I mean both compositions of great quality and those which are well outside of the repertoire of a layman, or even a fan of the genre. As anyone who knows me well enough might guess, I will inevitably be focusing on classical (largely common practice period) music. In fact, now that I consider it, I rather fancy doing this series chronologically.
Philistines, proceed with caution… Experts equally so, perhaps, since I am but a dilettante here!
Unsurprisingly, my first “gem” of the series will be a Baroque piece. I have chosen the little known piece, a Viola Concerto in G major, written by a one Georg Philipp Telemann. Telemann, a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach and resident of Germany (the Holy Roman Empire at that time), was in fact much more highly regarded than Bach (whose music was considered to be turgid and old-fashioned) in his day, and yet far less since – a fact that rather surprised me upon reading it. He was, however, a most prolific composer, rivalling his other contemporary in Italy, Antonio Vivaldi, in this respect. Despite his fame being somewhat diminished by time, he was without doubt a musician of great talent, the Viola Concerto among his finest works.
Since I am neither inclined nor qualified to launch into a theoretical discussion of this piece, I hope you will simply hearing its beauty. Hearing and admiring such a work is, in my opinion, a very personal thing that should only be done through oneself, gradually, and in a holistic way.
Listen or Download Here
Note: This recording, while quite decent, is not my preferred one, and I have included it mainly because is is Open Audio. My favourite recording of this concerto is actually available free from the Lancashire Sinfonietta website – you just need a quick registration before you can download the complete work.
I still remember the sensation of hearing for the first time a particular phrase near the end of the Allegro (you’ll know which I mean one when you listen). A feeling of recognition that is, but alas, I cannot remember the source. If anyone could suggest where I might have heard this before, that would much alleviate this ongoing irritance!
Expect (nay, rely upon) my second post in the series next week. Until then, I hope I have given some of you enjoyment in sharing this first piece. Comments and suggestions welcome, as always.
