53. Crespo Lunchtime Series

Telemann’s answer to Bach

Telemann, Bach and Handel were all living at the same time. In their lifetime Telemann was the most famous. When the role of Cantor and Musical Director at Leipzig came up, Telemann was the selectors' first choice, Bach was only the third choice. Telemann’s music was more approachable and popular, certainly his Fantasies for solo violin are less demanding than Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, though history has come down firmly on Bach’s side. The Fantasies take the form of short sonatas with anything from two to six movements with tempos and keys varying widely. Performances and recordings now appear regularly as violinists discover their qualities. Mairéad Hickey has learnt a selection of them specially for the Festival.