Georg Philipp Telemann

Georg Philipp Telemann (March 14, 1681–June 25, 1767) was a German Baroque music composer, born in Magdeburg. Self-taught in music, he studied languages and science at the University of Leipzig. Credited as the most prolific composer of all time, he was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach, and friend of George Frideric Handel. Nowadays Bach is generally thought of as the greater composer, though Telemann was better recognized for his musical abilities during his lifetime.

Selected Works

• Der Geduldige Socrates (1721)
• Der Schulmeister
• Der Tod Jesu ("The death of Jesus")
• Die Donner-Ode ("The Ode of Thunder")
• Die Tageszeiten ("The Times of the Day")
• Der Tag des Gerichts ("The Day of Judgement")
• Viola Concerto, the first known concerto for viola, still regularly performed today
• Tafelmusik
• Der getreue Musikmeister (1728), a musical journal containing 70 small vocal and instrumental compositions