March 14 - Georg Philipp Telemann (The Musical Birthday Series)

Georg Philipp Telemann (March 14, 1681-June 25, 1767) was one of the most prolific composers of all time, so it is appropriate to celebrate with not one, but two, offerings.

The first poem is a double dactyl, a genre of biographically inspired humorous poem with very strict structural rules.  Here are links to two definitions for those who are curious.  The first from the Poetry Foundation is clearer but less accurate than the second, from Wikipedia.  Take your pick.  The classic statement is the book Jiggery-Pokery:  A Compendium of Double Dactyls by Anthony Hecht and John Hollander (New York, 1967)

(Image: Grove Music Online)

To Thine Own Self Be True: A Double Dactyl for GPT

Higgledy piggledy,

Georg Philipp Telemann

Cranked out cantatas, a

Thousand or more.

Sometimes composing so

Self-referentially,

Things that he wrote he had

Written before.

 ♪♫♫♫ ♪♫♫♫ ♪♫♫♫ ♪♫♫♫ ♪♫♫♫ 

Radio Head

Georg Philipp Telemann, let it be said,

Wrote rather much that he shouldn’t have written.

When a new motive popped into his head

He wrote a whole opus that he could fit it in.

Call him prolific, or call him a hack,

Travel to any of many locations,

It’s likely you’ll hear his polite bric a brac

On nonprofit classical radio stations.


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