Six dozen is half a gross. And Georg Philipp Telemann composed that many cantatas for the Frankfurt Church Year of 1714/15. cpo, Felix Koch, the Gutenberg Soloists and the Neumeyer Consort have taken up the cause to record this so-called "French church year" in its entirety – a mighty project that is all the more impressive given that the creative spirit behind these scores never worked en gros.
Although he usually limited his instrumentation to two oboes, strings and basso continuo, adding a flute, bassoon, horns, trumpets and timpani for special Sundays or festive occasions, the composer's talent for orchestration was evidently boundless. He finds the appropriate sounds for his musical "sermon" on every theological topic. Every subject determined by the church calendar is reflected in his own individual way with a range of expression from the contemplative to the theatrical – and we are only one-third of the way through this fascinating journey.
Works:
•"Weichet fort aus meiner Seele" TVWV 1: 1537(15. Sonntag nach Trinitatis)
• Georg Philipp Telemann: "Ein Aussatz ist die Sünde" TVWV 1: 417 (14. Sonntag nach Trinitatis)
• Philipp Telemann: "Greulich sind die letzten Zeiten" TVWV 1: 700 (25. Sonntag nach Trinitatis)
• Georg Philipp Telemann: "Werd ich dann zu deiner Rechten" TVWV 1: 1579b (26. Sonntag nach Trinitatis)
• Georg Philipp Telemann: "Ich bin getrost im Leben" TVWV 1: 821 (Michaelisfest)
• Georg Philipp Telemann: "Ach wie beißt mich mein Gewissen" TVWV 1: 36 (11. Sonntag nach Trinitatis)
• Georg Philipp Telemann: "Was fehlt dir doch" TVWV 1: 1507 (12. Sonntag nach Trinitatis)
• Georg Philipp Telemann: "Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot" TVWV 1: 134 (13. Sonntag nach Trinitatis)
•Georg Philipp Telemann: Choralvorspiele "Vater unser im Himmelreich", "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein"; "Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt"; "O Haupt vollBlut und Wunden"