Person · Male

Georg Philipp Telemann

composer

From: Magdeburg, Germany
Active: 1681–1767
Rating: ★ 5 (4 votes)
Releases: 595

baroque
classical
opera

About

Georg Philipp Telemann (German: [ˈɡeːɔʁk ˈfiːlɪp ˈteːləman]; 24 March 1681 [O.S. 14 March 1680] – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. He is one of the most prolific composers in history, at least in terms of surviving works. Telemann was considered by his contemporaries to be one of the leading German composers of the time, and he was compared favourably both to his friend Johann Sebastian Bach, who made Telemann the godfather and namesake of his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, and to George Frideric Handel, whom Telemann also knew personally.

Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesheim, Telemann entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually settled on a career in music. He held important positions in Leipzig, Sorau, Eisenach, and Frankfurt before settling in Hamburg in 1721, where he became musical director of that city's five main churches. While Telemann's career prospered, his personal life was always troubled: his first wife died less than two years after their marriage, and his second wife had extramarital affairs and accumulated a large gambling debt before leaving him. As part of his duties, he wrote a considerable amount of music for educating organists under his direction. This includes 48 chorale preludes and 20 small fugues (modal fugues) to accompany his chorale harmonisations for 500 hymns. His music incorporates French, Italian, and German national styles, and he was at times even influenced by Polish popular music. He remained at the forefront of all new musical tendencies, and his music stands as an important link between the late Baroque and early Classical styles. The Telemann Museum in Hamburg is dedicated to him.

From Georg Philipp Telemann on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Discography

Albums 476

Showing 60 of 476. See them all on MusicBrainz

EPs 1

Trio Sonatas in E and F major Year unknown

Singles 1

Canonic Sonata for Two Violins in G major Year unknown

Live 6

Compilations 91

Showing 60 of 91. See them all on MusicBrainz

Other 20

Teacher

Also known as

G.Ph.Telemann · G.p.telemann · Georg Philip Telemann · Georg Philipp Teleman · Georg Phillip Telemann · Georg Phillipp Telemann · Georg Telemann · Telemann · Telemann, Georg P. · Telemann, Georg Phillpp (1681-1767) · ゲオルク・フィリップ・テレマン

Identifiers

MusicBrainz: 8f831f50-e409-47c3-8598-71a61bc8cfb3
ISNI: 0000000109144172
IPI: 00030348907

Data from MusicBrainz, saved 7 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.

Georg Philipp Telemann

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