Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) was a German Baroque composer, a friend of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. In his lifetime he was even more famous than Bach, and he went down in history as one of the most prolific composers of all time.
Telemann created a colossal body of work — thousands of pieces in every genre: operas, oratorios, cantatas, concertos, orchestral suites, and chamber music. Largely self-taught, he was distinguished by lightness, elegance, and wit of style, as well as an openness to new, “galant” tendencies with which he was ahead of his age. Telemann also did much for the development of public concert life. His music, forgotten for a time, underwent a genuine revival in the 20th century and now sounds on stages around the world.
