A critical edition of Georg Philipp Telemann’s Missa sopra Christ lag in Todesbanden (TWV 9:3)

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2010-12

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Abstract

The purpose of the treatise is to provide the first modern edition of one of Telemann's “Lutheran masses” and a discussion of the work in its historical, stylistic, and liturgical context. In his lifetime, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was one of Germany’s, if not Europe’s, most famous and most prolific composers. Though many of Telemann’s works were published by him, many are today assumed lost or remain unknown. Presented here, for the first time, is a performing edition of one of Telemann’s missae breves based on the Lutheran chorale melody Christ lag in Todesbanden. This setting is one of five in a manuscript collection in the library of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel (Royal Conservatory, Brussels). Chapter One presents a survey of Telemann’s life and career, church music, and historical reception, both in his day and to the present. Because this mass setting resulted from the reform movement of Martin Luther, Chapter Two addresses the role of the mass in the Lutheran liturgy. Included in this chapter is a discussion of some of the elements Luther retained from the Roman liturgy and some of those elements which he discarded or changed, namely those elements which relate to the use of music in the liturgy. Unlike his fellow reformers Jean Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli, Luther was a lover of music and gave a prominent position to music in his new liturgy. Chapter Three focuses on the importance of music in the Lutheran liturgy, especially the significance of the chorale. Chapter Four presents the chorale melody and the manner in which Telemann employed it in this mass setting. There is also a discussion of performance considerations and suggestions. The score of the edition is included as Appendix A.

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