Telemann - Georg Philipp Telemann

German Baroque composer. At the time, he was more popular than Bach and was considered the greatest German composer. Born on March 14th to a pastor in Magdeburg, central Germany, he lost his father at the age of four and was raised by a single mother. He was taught music by a cantor in his hometown and taught himself, and was so precocious that he composed an opera at the age of 12. However, his family, fearing for his future, banned him from music and sent him to Zellerfeld and then Hildesheim. However, Telemann continued to play music secretly with the understanding of his teachers, and in 1701, following his mother's wishes, he studied law at the University of Leipzig. However, in Leipzig, he quickly distinguished himself as a composer, and even though he was a student, he was praised as a musician on a par with Kuhnau, and showed brilliant success in church music, opera, and performances with the student music group he founded, the Collegium Musicum. In 2005, he became the court conductor in Zary (now in Poland), where he was introduced to the instrumental music of Lully and Campra, as well as having the opportunity to experience Polish folk music.

In 1708, he moved to Eisenach as court conductor, where he became friends with Bach, who was then the Weimar court organist. In 1712, he became conductor of the Frankfurt Disembodied Church, and was eventually promoted to the city's music director. The passions he composed at that time, based on texts by Brokes, greatly increased his fame. In 1721, he moved to Hamburg, where he became the city's church music director, and the following year, he took on the additional role of director of the Hamburg Opera, establishing his international fame. Pre-orders for his instrumental collection, Table Music (published in 1733), came not only from all over Germany, but also from Scandinavia, Russia, England, and France. Since his time at Sohlau, Telemann has produced an astonishing amount of work, including around 1,000 orchestral suites, a huge number of cantatas, passions, oratorios, and even operas such as "Pimpinone" (premiered in 1725). He was also a resourceful writer, leaving behind three autobiographies. He died in Hamburg on June 25, 1767.

[Ryuichi Higuchi]

"Telemann: Life and Works" by K. Grebe, translated by Kozo Hattori and Mariko Maki (1981, Ongaku No Tomosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドイツ・バロックの作曲家。当時はバッハ以上の人気を誇り、ドイツ最高の作曲家とみなされていた。3月14日、中部ドイツ、マクデブルクの牧師の子に生まれたが、4歳で父を亡くし、女手ひとつで育てられた。故郷のカントルに手ほどきを受けたほかは独学で音楽を学び、12歳でオペラを作曲するほどの早熟ぶりだったが、将来を危ぶんだ家族に以後音楽を禁じられ、ツェラーフェルト、ヒルデスハイムへと転校させられた。しかしいずれも師の理解を得てひそかに音楽を続けたテレマンは、1701年、母の望みに従い、ライプツィヒ大学で法律を学ぶこととなる。ところがライプツィヒではたちまち作曲家として頭角を現し、学生ながらクーナウと並び称される音楽家として、教会音楽、オペラ、さらに自ら創設した学生音楽団体コレギウム・ムジクムの演奏と、華々しい活躍を示した。05年ゾーラウ（現ポーランドのジャリ）宮廷楽長となり、リュリやカンプラの器楽を知ったほか、ポーランドの民俗音楽に触れる機会も得た。

　1708年、宮廷楽長としてアイゼナハに移り、当時ワイマール宮廷オルガン奏者だったバッハと親交を結んでいる。12年フランクフルト跣足(せんそく)教会楽長となり、やがて同市音楽監督に昇進。当時作曲したブローケスの歌詞に基づいた受難曲は、彼の名声を大いに高めたものである。21年ハンブルクに移り、同市の教会音楽監督となったテレマンは、翌22年ハンブルク・オペラの監督を兼務し、国際的な名声を確立した。器楽曲集『食卓の音楽』（1733刊）の予約注文は、ドイツ各地にとどまらず、北欧、ロシア、イギリス、フランスからも寄せられるほどだった。ゾーラウ時代以来、約1000曲の管弦楽組曲、膨大な数のカンタータ、受難曲、オラトリオ、さらに『ピンピノーネ』（1725初演）に代表されるオペラなど、驚くべき多作を誇るテレマンは、また、3種の自伝を残す、機知に富んだ文筆家でもあった。67年6月25日ハンブルクに没。

［樋口隆一］

『K・グレーベ著、服部幸三・牧マリ子訳『テレマン――生涯と作品』（1981・音楽之友社）』

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