10 - Telemann as “General Kapellmeister” to the Bach Family

Summary

As is well known, Telemann was godfather to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, who eventually succeeded Telemann in his position at Hamburg. Telemann may have been equally significant for Emanuel’s father Johann Sebastian, serving as a professional role model and providing models for composition. In particular, Telemann’s “Eisenach” cantata Jahrgang of 1710–11 could have been a crucial spur toward Bach’s first essays in the new type of church cantata which he began composing at Weimar circa 1714. Telemann’s later nomination as allgemeiner Capellmeister for the Ernestine Saxon duchies formalized his position as the dominant musical figure in the region while Bach was at Weimar. Musical sources as well as stylistic parallels suggest that, during this formative period, Bach composed vocal as well as instrumental works in emulation of examples by Telemann.