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The 36 Fantasias for Keyboard (Dover Music for Piano)

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Telemann was a man of great talent in his day. I once heard a tale that JS Bach traveled many miles by foot just to hear him improvise on the keyboard. -- Well, in these Fantasias lies the very creativity that may have been in those improvised durges. For the most part, these Fantasias consist of a Soprono voice, and Thoughrobass; every keyboard player should have something by Telemann, and this is a fantastic piece of the Telemann legacy for a keyboardist to own.

Telemann was both a prolific and gifted composer. These fantasias show his ability to contrast musical ideas in a miniature form. They are of a moderate technical level, mainly consisting of two voices; however, they have much artistic merit and serve admirably for salon style recitals or for introducing students to baroque keyboard works along the same lines as the J.S. Bach keyboard fantasies. Many of these are even accessible to students of a grade IV (RCM) level.

While Telemann is little performed or played today, he was the leading composer of his time, and was highly regarded by both Bach and Händel. His output was more prolific than any of his contemporaries, and is of a consitantly high quality. These fantasias can hold their ground artistically and technically against the Bach fantasias and preludes & fugues. Telemann lived to be 86, and his music reflects the Baroque aesthetic and complexity interspersed by the Classical ideas of homophony. Even if you have never played or heard Telemann before, if you enjoy Baroque keyboard music, this book will be a great addition