Welcome to the home page of the
Telemann Society of New York!

Georg Phillip Telemann (1681 - 1767)

Welcome to the Telemann Society of New York, New York!

The first major recording by The Telemann Society was The English Country Dancing Master. This release elicited unanimous rave reviews in the international critical press. Since that time many additional recordings have been produced for release on Nonesuch, Vox/Turnabout, Counterpoint-Esoteric, Amphion, and other recognized record labels.

The Society's weekly FM radio show has often been heard over the facilities of National Public Radio and good music FM stations in major cities.

Its live concerts have included Carnegie Hall and Town Hall, New York; Jordan Hall, Boston; and the Busch-Reisinger Museum at Harvard University.

The Telemann Society is under the musical direction of the husband and wife team of Richard and Theodora Schulze, assisted by their son Otto.

As founders of the Carnegie Hall Fund the Schulzes wrote the Feasibility Study and Operating Plan for the Isaac Stern Citizens Committee to Save Carnegie Hall. Later they recovered the historical remains of Theodore Thomas from his former summer home in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and saw to their transfer to the archive of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. More recently they have been at the helm of the American Conservatory of Music, founded in 1886 and numbered among the major professional conservatories of the world. The Conservatory confers the degrees Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Music, and Bachelor of Music.

Sandra Hahn
The Telemann Society, Inc.
c/o The American Conservatory of Music, Inc.
252 Wildwood Road
Hammond, Indiana 46324
Tel:  (219) 931-6000

Recordings by
The Telemann Society
Richard and Theodora
Schulze, Music Directors

SOME CRITICAL COMMENTS. . .

"Fresh enthusiasm in the performance"
THE GRAMOPHONE, LONDON

"perky, cool, charming, and highly
diverting"
THE NEW YORK TIMES

"excellent performances and skillful
editing"
AUDIO & RECORD REVIEW, LONDON

"the charm of a rustic celebration"
THE NEW YORK TIMES

"the performances are adroit and polished"
DAVID RANDOLPH
HIFI/STEREO REVIEW

"enough glory spread around for everyone concerned"
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

"perfectly shaped miniatures with a haunting modal ringextraordinarily beautiful"
THE NEW YORK TIMES

"cheerful, buoyant performances"
THE GRAMOPHONE, LONDON

"stylistically right and full of spirit"
THE NEW YORK TIMES

"a release of great documentary significance"
THE AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

"the music‹rhythmic, simple, and tuneful‹is wonderful for children"
McCALL'S

"nicely documented and programmed"
BILLBOARD

"a product of much earnestness and imagination"
THE AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

"the compositions are utterly charming‹of captivating quality"
HIFI/STEREO REVIEW

"a freeing glee"
ATLANTIC MONTHLY

"dedicated musicians"
McCALL'S

You may also link to the Conservatory's web site.

You may also link to Otto Schulze's web site. Otto Schulze is Chairman of the American Conservatory of Music and serves as Co-Music Director of the the Society where he is principally involved with production of new media featuring members of the Telemann Society Chorus and Orchestra.

This home page is under construction.  Please check back often for updated information about the Telemann Society, its recordings and concert schedules.

Herr Telemann's brief timeline is detailed below: (This timeline will be modified in the future.)

• 1681 Magdeburg - Georg Phillip Telemann was born on March 14 as son of the deacon at the "Heilige-Geist-Kirche" (church) Heinrich Telemann and his wife Maria Haltmeier.

  He attended the "Altstäische Schule" (school), and while there was a student of the cantor and musical director of the six main churches "Benedictus Christiani". Afterwards Telemann attended the "Domschule" (school).

  He learned to play musical instruments and learned on his own.

  First steps in composing; composition and performance of the opera "Sigismundus" (approx. 1693)

• 1694 Zellerfeld - Telemann visited the school that was led by superintendent Caspar Calvoer. Telemann worked in the areas Geometry, Latin language, but also Music;

  Telemann created some compositions for the church and the town-musician

• 1697 Hildesheim - Telemann visited the "Gymnasium Andreanum" (school); created more compositions for school theater plays and prepared text books of the headmaster Johann Christoph Losius

• 1701 Magdeburg - "ein veranstaltetes Examen" ("An Arranged Exam") (Telemann passed the school leaving examination)

• 1701 Leipzig - Telemann started to study the law, founded and led a student "Collegium Musicum" (college of music).

  He conducted operas and performed as an opera-singer.

  In 1704, he became organist (and thus musical director) at the "Neue Kirche" (church).

  Composition of cantatas for the "Thomaskirche" (church) and the operas at Leipzig and Weißnfels

  In 1701, during a journey via Halle meeting with Georg Friedrich Häel; during visits at each other joint studies of theory of composition; start of their lifelong friendship

• 1705 Sorau (Zary) - Telemann became conductor at court of Graf Erdmann von Primnitz (earl).

  Telemann created his composition of the french overture suites

• 1708 Eisenach - Telemann became concert leader and later conductord at court of Herzog Johann Wilhelm von Sachsen und Eisenach (duke); compositions of church music, birthday and homage music for the ducal family; trisonatas and solo concerts; furthermore operas for Leipzig.

  Eisenach was for Telemann the "severe school" where he, not only in the music, came "to a true solidarity", but he also became "a different person in Christianity".

• 1712 Frankfurt/Main - Telemann became town musical director (conductor at the "Barfürche" (church), later also at the "Katherinenkirche" (church)) as well as secretary and manager of the "higher nobility" Frauenstein association (the leading society of the Franfurt middle classes). Composition of church music for the Sundays and holidays of the ecclesiastical calendar:

  Completion of the Eisenach annuals, five new annuals, in addition numerous occasional jobs, orchestra and chamber music.

  • 1713 Telemann founded and led the Collegium Musicum of the Frauenstein association and gave semi-public and public concerts on a regular basis.

  • 1714 Johann Sebastian Bach chose Telemann to be the godfather of his son Carl Phillip Emanuel.

  • 1715 The first of more than 40 publications: "Six sonates a Violin soul ..." was published.

  • 1716 Telemann composed the passion oratorio "Der fü Sü der Welt gemarterte Jesus" ("Jesus who was Tortured for the Sins of the World"), the single most important passion oratorio in the first half of the 18th century. Other compositions of this time:
    • Oratorio "Auf Christenheit, begeh ein Freudenfest" ("Up Christianity, Celebrate a Rejoicing Celebration"),
    • Serenade "Teutschland grüd blü Friede" ("Germany Blossoms and Florishes in Peace").

  • 1717 Telemann became "Kapellmeister von Hause aus" ("conductor by nature") in Eisenach.

  • 1718 Telemann wrote his first autobiography, which was not published, however, before 1731 in Johann Matthesons "Groß Generalbaßchule" (paper).

• 1721 Hamburg - Telemann became cantor at the Johanneum and musical director of the five main churches.

  He gave public concerts, printed and published many of his own (and some of other people`s) compositions (until 1740).

  Composition of religious cantatas and an annual passion music, operas and intermezzi for the Hamburg opera (until 1738), festival music for urban, ecclesiastical, educational and private occasions (among them, anually, an oratorio and a serenade for the banquet of the militia captains).

  The composer and publisher Telemann kept up a lively correspondence and cultivated far-reaching relations in many european countries and to many colleagues.

  • 1737 Invited by French friends, Telemann travels to Paris for eight months.

  • 1755 A series of Telemann`s most remarkable late works started, the following are among them:
    • "Der Tod Jesu" ("The death of Jesus") 1755
    • "Die Donner-Ode" ("The Ode of Thunder") 1756
    • "Die Tageszeiten" ("The Times of the Day")
    • "Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu" ("The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus") 1760
    • "Der Tag des Gerichts" ("The Day of Judgement") 1765

    They resound in Telemann`s public concerts.

• 1767 Hamburg - Telemann died on June 25.