Kapitänsmusik

The "Hamburgische Kapitänsmusik" (Hamburg Captain's Music) refers to a body of compositions by Georg Philipp Telemann. They comprise sacred oratorios and secular serenades. However, the oratorios were intended to be performed in a secular setting, the Hamburg Drillhaus, and their characters are almost exclusively allegorical. The "Kapitänsmusik" was written for the annual banquet (or "konvivium") of the Hamburg militia captains – one oratorio and one serenade for each banquet. The works span the period from 1723 to 1766, although many of the manuscripts have now been lost, and in several of those years no banquet was held. Although Telemann's grandson Georg Michael Telemann inherited many autographs and manuscript copies of Telemann's vocal works, the rest of his musical estate, including the "Kapitänsmusik", was sold at an auction in Hamburg on September 6, 1769. Much of that material has since disappeared, and the auction catalogue has not survived. Of the 36 "Kapitänsmusiken" that Telemann wrote, only 10 oratorios (with nine complete oratorio–serenade pairs) plus a few separate pieces are extant today. [*Steven Zohn, 'Telemann, Georg Philipp', "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians", 2nd edition, Stanley Sadie and John Tyrell (editors), Oxford University Press, 2001.]

"Kapitänsmusik" timeline

*"1723: Missing / Lost
*"1724: Oratorio + Serenata extant in Schwerin, Mecklenburgische Landesbibliothek Mus.ms. 5377/5 (Parts)
*"1725: Missing / Lost
*"1726: Missing / Lost
*"1727: Missing / Lost
*"1728: Only Oratorio: Berlin, SPK, Mus. ms. autogr. G. Ph. Telemann 28 (Score)
*"1729: Missing / Lost
*"1730: Oratorio + Serenata in SPK Mus. ms. autogr. G. Ph. Telemann 22 (Score)
*"1731: Missing / Lost
*"1732: Missing / Lost
*"1733: Missing / Lost
*"1734: Missing / Lost
*"1735: Missing / Lost
*"1736: Oratorio + Serenata in Schwerin Mus. ms. 5377/4 (Parts)
*"1737: Missing / Lost
*"1738: Oratorio + Serenata in Schwerin Mus. ms. 5377/3 (Parts)
*"1739: Missing / Lost
*"1740: Missing / Lost
*"1741: There was no Convivium
*"1742: Oratorio + Serenata in Schwerin Mus. ms. 5377/6 (Parts)
*"1743: Missing / Lost
*"1744: SPK Mus. ms. 21760 + 21761 (Parts), Mus. ms. autogr. G. Ph. Telemann 134 (autograph Violoncell-Part of O. + S.)
*"1745: There was no Convivium
*"1746: Missing / Lost
*"1747: Missing / Lost
*"1748: Missing / Lost
*"1749: Missing / Lost
*"1750: There was no Convivium (due to the burning down of St. Michaelis church)
*"1751: Missing / Lost
*"1752: Missing / Lost
*"1753: Missing / Lost
*"1754: Missing / Lost
*"1755: Oratorio + Serenata in SPK Mus. ms. autogr. G. Ph. Telemann 9 (Score)
*"1756: Only fragment of the oratorio in SPK Mus. ms. 21755 (Parts)
*"1757: There was no Convivium (due to the Seven-years-war)
*"1758: like 1757
*"1759: Missing / Lost
*"1760: Oratorio + Serenata in SPK Mus. ms. autogr. G. Ph. Telemann 23 (Score), autogr. 134 (Fragments of wind instr.); SPK 21743/45 + 21755/10 /Parts without wind instr.)
*"1761: Fragments of Oratorio in SPK 21755/14
*"1762: There was no Convivium
*"1763: There was no Convivium
*"1764: Oratorio in SPK 21755/18, Serenata in SPK 21755/19
*"1765: Missing / Lost
*"1766: There was no Convivium

References

* [http://www.uni-magdeburg.de/magdeburg/telemann_eng.html Georg Philipp Telemann Timeline] University of Magdeburg
*Heinz Becker and Lutz Lesle, 'Hamburg', "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians", 2nd edition, Stanley Sadie and John Tyrell (editors), Oxford University Press, 2001.