St Matthew Passion (TVWV 5:43) Herr, stärke mich, dein Leiden zu bedenken (Full Score, hardback)

Telemann St Matthew Passion (TVWV 5:43) Herr, stärke mich, dein Leiden zu bedenken (Full Score, hardback)

The St Matthew Passion of 1758 exemplifies several aspects of Georg Philipp Telemann’s late Passion writing: his evolving recitative style in the 1750s, the sometimes considerable abridgements of the Gospel texts, the use of new chorale texts – including those by Christian Fürchtegott Gellert and Christlob Mylius – and the division of the Evangelist part between two singers.  Telemann also reused the biblical recitatives and turba choruses from this Passion in two later Passions, a technique he generally employed in his late Passions and which can be traced here in an exemplary manner.

The source situation is favourable, as a Hamburg set of parts by Telemann's principal copyist Schieferlein exists in addition to a copy of the full score by Georg Michael Telemann.  This means that the colla-parte parts and the underlying texts have been preserved in their entirety; only one original figured organ part is missing.

The foreword addresses all these aspects in meticulous detail and also discusses performance practice issues at length.  It furthermore documents the chorale texts and melodies.  The volume contains a complete facsimile of the Passion text, selected illustrations from the musical sources, the Critical Report and the music score with a concise appendix.  It provides a broad and solid foundation for research on Telemann as a church composer; for performers it makes accessible a major work from Telemann’s late creative period.

- Georg Philipp Telemann. Musical Works Volume 77

- Format 33,0 x 26,0 cm