Telemann – Polish Dances from the Rostock Manuscript TWV 45 (PDF)

Georg Philipp Telemann – Polish Dances from the Rostock Manuscript TWV 45 (Danse d`Polones / Danse Polonie)

Telemann was seduced by Polish music, especially by his dances and popular music

“I became acquainted there and also in Krakau with Polish and Moravian music in its true, barbaric beauty […] […] it is impossible to imagine the fantastic musical ideas they presented between dances when the dancers rested and the musicians improvised music together [‘jammed’] to fill out the time. Anyone who paid very close attention could pick up in 8 days sufficient musical ideas to last a lifetime.”

(Telemann’s autobiography, published in Mattheson’s Ehren-Pforte, Hamburg, 1740)

It is easy to understand, through Telemann’s own words, the great influence that Polish music and Polish dances had on Telemann. It was in 1705 when Telemann become Kapellmeister for the court of Count Erdmann II of Promnitz at Sorau (now Żary, in Poland), His career there was cut short in early 1706 by the hostilities of the Great Northern War but his contact with Polish music marked him for life.

These Polish dances found in Rostock are a reflection of the music that Telemann heard and transcribed. A reflection of that barbaric beauty.

The manuscript was discovered in 1986 at the University of Rostock. It consists of two volumes. One of the volumes contains the violin part and the other the bass part.

We have more Telemann in Snakewood Editions. Here.

Or check Wikipedia to know more about him. Here.