Passions (Telemann)

Between 1716 and 1767, Georg Philipp Telemann wrote a series of "Passions", musical compositions reflecting on Christ's Passion – the physical, spiritual and mental suffering of Jesus from the hours prior to his trial through to his crucifixion. The works were written for performance in German churches in the days before Easter. A prolific composer, Telemann wrote over 40 "Passions" for the churches of Hamburg alone, of which 22 have survived according to the present state of research. [Jason Benjamin Grant, [http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04222005-050811/unrestricted/grantjb_etdPitt2005.pdf "The rise of lyricism and the decline of Biblical narration in the late liturgical Passions of Georg Philipp Telemann"] , Doctoral Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 2005. PDF file retrieved 17 February 2008.] He also wrote several Passion oratorios. Unlike the "Passions" intended for liturgical performance, they were not closely set to the literal text of the Gospels. His 1716 Passion oratorio "Der für die Sünde der Welt gemarterte Jesus" ("Jesus Who was Tortured for the Sins of the World", TWV 5:1), used a poetic meditation on the passion story by Barthold Heinrich Brockes. Telemann himself wrote the text for his second Passion oratorio, "Seliges Erwägen des bittern Leidens und Sterbens Jesu Christi" ("Blessed Contemplation of the Bitter Suffering and Dying of Jesus Christ", TWV 5:2). The latter work, written in 1722 and first performed in 1728, was one of the most beloved and frequently performed "Passions" in eighteenth-century Germany, although today the work is much less known than his later "Passions". [Jeanne Roberta Swack, [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-98248530.html Georg Philipp Telemann, "Seliges Erwägen des bittern Leidens und Sterbens Jesu Christi"] Review of the critical edition of the score by Ute Poetzsch (Kassel: Barenreiter, 2001), "Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association" Volume 59, Number 3, March 2003, pp. 755-758. Retrieved via subscription 17 February 2008.]

List of Telemann's liturgical "Passions"

"Note that this list may be incomplete"

Modern Editions

Johannes Pausch's "Edition Musiklandschaften" has edited many of Telemann's late Passions: [ [http://www.edition-musiklandschaften.de "Edition Musiklandschaften"] ]

Johannes-Passion 1757 (TVWV 5:42). Editio princeps.
Matthäus-Passion 1758 (TVWV 5:43). Wissenschaftliche Edition.
Marcus-Passion 1759 (TVWV 5:44). Wissenschaftliche Edition.
Lucas-Passion 1760 (TVWV 5:45). Editio princeps.
Johannes-Passion 1761 (TVWV 5:46). Editio princeps.
Matthäus-Passion 1762 (TVWV 5:47). Editio princeps.
Lucas-Passion 1764 (TVWV 5:49). Editio princeps.
Johannes-Passion 1765 (TVWV 5:50). Editio princeps.
Matthäus-Passion 1766 (TVWV 5:51). Editio princeps.
Marcus-Passion 1767 (TVWV 5:52). Editio princeps.
Seliges Erwägen, Berliner Fassung 1763 (TVWV 5:2). Wissenschaftliche Ausgabe

elected recordings

*Telemann: "St. John Passion" TWV 5:50 (Catherine Bott, Sarah Connolly, Reginaldo Pinheiro, Jan Vandercrabben, Philip Defrancq; Collegium Instrumentale Brugense, Capella Brugensis; conductor: Patrick Peire). Eufoda EUF1224.
*Telemann: "St. Matthew Passion" TWV 5:31 (Barbara Schlik, Claudia Schubert, Wilfried Jochens, Stefan Dörr, Achim Rück Hans-Georg Wimmer; Collegium Vocale des Bach-Chores Siegen; Barock-Orchester "La Stravaganza-Köln"; conductor: Ulrich Stötzel). Brilliant Classics 992277 (first issued by Hänssler).
*Telemann: "Passions Oratorium - Das selige Erwägen des bittern Leiden und Sterbens Jesu Christi" TWV 5:2 (Barbara Locher, Zeger Vandersteene, Stefan Dörr, Berthold Possemeyer, Rene Schmidt; Freiburger Vokalensemble; L'Arpa Festante München; conductor: Wolfgang Schäfer). Brilliant Classics 99521 (licensed from Bayer Records).

ee also

*Passion music
*"St Matthew Passion" and "St. John Passion" by Johann Sebastian Bach, one of Telemann's contemporaries

References and notes

External links

* [http://alambix.uquebec.ca/musique/catal/telemann/telgp02.html#sec05 Complete list of Telemann's extant "Passions"] (including the "Passion" oratorios), Robert Poliquin, Université du Québec.