Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Concerto for Four Violins in G major (ca. 1720)
Few composers in the history of Western music were more prolific than Georg Philipp Telemann. His surviving output of around 3000 pieces covers every major genre of the late Baroque era, including operas, oratorios, cantatas, concertos, partitas, and sonatas. Among the concertos is a set of four for four violins, in G, D, C, and A major, written around 1720.
The functional purpose of the set was to provide a collection of pieces for four capable violinists to perform when a keyboard or orchestra might not be present, a condition not unheard of in modern times and perhaps more likely to be encountered in the 18th century. Accordingly, these aren’t terribly virtuosic works. Yes, there are brisk rhythms and busy contrapuntal textures and, on occasion, the part-writing involves some exploration of the Northern extremes of that period’s violin’s register. But for the most part these are smart but relaxed entries in the genre, geared towards, if you will, the common fiddler.
Like the other four concertos, the G major is cast in four movements, the odd-numbered ones in slow tempos, the even-numbered ones in fast tempos. The first tends towards lyricism; the second is a fugue on a subject of decreasing rhythmic values; and the third, a short interlude filled with aching suspensions. The finale is a sprightly, rustic dance, ending this most peculiar of concertos on a bright, sunny note.
© Jonathan Blumhofer
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