Georg Telemann

[3step]

I've found several youtube performances of Georg Telemann pieces, and many have come to be among my favorite works for mandolin. I feel like he understood the mandolin really well and composed beautifully for it. I can't seem to find any of this material on cd though -and he composed a lot for mandolin. I know artists sometimes sell on their own, or through smaller websites. If you know of anyone who's recorded Telemann mandolin pieces, I would appreciate any feedback you can give.

[DavidKOS]

Here's the first place to look:

http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Telemann,_Georg_Philipp

However to my understanding the music you are referring to is almost, if not all, arrangements of works for other instruments. I'm not certain Telemann wrote for mandolin at all. But much of the material for flute, recorder, oboe, violin, etc. can be played on mandolin.

[3step]

Thanks. It looks like maybe you're right about that. I saw a score book of 72 compositions for mandolin, and assumed the pieces I was hearing were from that, and originally composed for mandolin. I guess they are arrangements. They sure adapt nicely anyway.

[John Goodin]

3step, I am slow to reply to this but I am the guilty party responsible for the Telemann for Mandolin book you have noticed. I played through tons of Telemann pieces for other instruments and picked out a bunch that I think are fun to play on the modern mandolin.

It's true that, as far as we know, Telemann didn't write for mandolin but he did, according to Telemann scholar Steven Zohn, apparently write for and play the mandora, a kind of bass-lute.

I have some more Telemann music transcribed for mandolin available on my Mandotopia site at this link:
http://www.mandotopia.com/mandolinPD2.htm

The music in the Mel Bay Telemann book is presented in both standard notation and tablature and the music on my site is standard notation only.

I'm not having much luck thinking of many mandolin recordings of Telemann music although I know there are a couple of pieces here and there. The Uptown Mandolin Quartet (from Lawrence, KS - home of the Mandolin Cafe) recorded a Telemann "Concerto a 4" on their 1995 Bach, Ravel, Telemann CD. I also own a 2009 CD by Jacob Reuven and Alon Sariel titled Sources which includes one of Telemann's Canonic Sonatas (No. 1 in G major). (My apologies to other Telemann mandolin recording artists who aren't coming to mind right now.)

I hope you enjoy exploring Telemann's great gift for melody as much as I have.

John G.

[3step]

Hi John, Thanks for the helpful information, and congrats on the book. I started listening to Telemann fairly recently, but he's now among my favorite composers. I find his melodies really inventive and memorable. I may try and work out something of his on mandolin myself eventually, but playing isn't the same as listening for me. That Uptown mandolin quartet cd sounds interesting -Ravel on mandolin! I have to hear that too. In the meantime I'm enjoying hearing whatever I can of Telemann's works.

[fatt-dad]

my duet buddy (on hammered dulcimer) have worked up the Telemann canonic sonata in G. It's great fun and a worthy challenge (well at least for me).

f-d