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On the subject of pictures, this one hangs in the Lakenhal museum, Leiden. "Trompetter in De Swaan", c. 1708, by Willem van Mieris (1662-1747). |
Look at the detail, top right. |
The Telemann cantata you will hear today has a colourful story. It seemed like such a good idea at the time; to transcribe a previously-unedited cantata by one of my favourite composers, dedicated to the king of my home country, if only for its novelty value. That was before the facsimiles arrived from the Biblioteek in Brussels. ![]()
Telemann was not renowned for his neat handwriting. We only have the composition score, hastily written with many "shorthand" signs. The text was another challenge altogether and a massive thanks must go to Arwen, Piet, Anselm Hartinger of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Eduard and Ria van Hengel for taking the time to unravel this graphological conundrum. The first text is scrawled very untidily. Below that is a second text, often scribbled over the continuo part, that is even less legible and apparently dedicated to another German nobleman in Meklenburg, which is why we think it was possibly not performed in England. If the estimated date is correct at 1760, this was the year that George II died before his birthday and George III succeded to the throne after his. News would have travelled quickly to Hamburg in those days and this might explain the apparently hasty re-dedication. Further work is needed to make a "conclusive" version.
Mike Diprose September 2010 |