Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 – 1767) is a German Baroque composer & is one of the most prolific composers in history, as a result of his productivity his music was often seen as second-rate & not up to Bach’s standards. I have as stand-alones: Oboe sonatas 1 2; Recorder sonatas 1 2; Water Music; Paris Quartets 1 2; Darmstadt Overtures 2 cd; Twelve Fantasies for traverse flute; Concertos/Tafelmusick (lp to cd transfer); Partitas (lp to cd transfer); Twelve Fantasies for Flute/Sonatas (lp to cd transfer).
Telemann did not write for the concert hall but for relatively small ensembles for private court musicians. It was meant, for the most part, to be background music: Tafelmusick was for dining to not for dwelling on the mysteries of a spiritual life. He rarely wrote to express emotions or to create pastoral images.
In some ways we’ve done some periods of classical music a disservice by reducing to concert halls or radio broadcasts where we feel trapped or compelled to listen to it without distractions, without being able to do anything but listen. It was meant to be interacted with not worshipped.
Telemann was a journeyman composer who could write an elegant march for your walk down the aisle, or background for the the opening of your water fountain display. In the salons off the day people would walk around, chit-chat whiles the music was being played or danced to – it was meant to create an ambiance not pull focus to itself.
His work is soothing, elegant & sometimes sublime. My favourite are his Twelve Fantasies for Flute – I have two different recordings, one on transverse flute & the other on recorder. Both are a delight & perfect dinner music 🙂
All Is Well
it’s not me it’s them
it’s a war zone out there
no safe haven
to stop and breathe in
who wants to breathe
the air out there
stand in what sort of shit
no place to rest
to put down the gun
for even a minute
random bullets materialize in the air
when you are down the street
to look for a burger joint
for a corner to piss in
and bang
if the bullets don’t get you
the burgers will
<>
you’re all out to get me
people everywhere cough sneeze
wipe damp hands
on door handles I have to touch
grimace at me
at my gun
over their newspapers
crank up their mp3 players
so I can’t hear mine
daring me to shoot
as they light up a cigarette
as they push ahead of me
to get their death burger faster
fast food being too slow for them
tear off price tags
rip books to shreds
push their way
down crowded stairs ways
jump at me with atomizers
when I enter a department store
try this sir
what’s your favourite blood
I like the smell of
cosmetic salespersons blood
do you have anything like that
or something that smells
like fast food counter help
that empty fried fresh aroma
that tingles the taste buds
something that makes people hungry
when they smell me
<>
it’s not me it’s them
I set out peaceful almost serene
avoid the unscooped spots on the sidewalk
even manage a smile at the barista
who would smile back
if she weren’t afraid it’d slow her down
the swish my coffee enough
to make sure the lumps of milk
and sweetener have dissolved
I’m happy for the first sip
until the lid pops off
and I have to watch
the slick scum cling
to the sides of my cup
as I sip sip sip to the last drop
<>
I am now ready for anything and everything
that is out to get me
I won’t fight back too much today
I want to be a power of calm
in all this mindless
that staggers
stumbles
hurrys me
to step out of the way
resist have a nice day
resist fuck you too
resist kicking cars
that stop in the crosswalk
as if they owned the damn streets
<>
it’s not me
I know that even if this a war zone
all is well with the world
(2008)
TOpoet 