Theotokos presents three of Telemann's most exciting, bizarre, and touching cantatas from his complete cantata cycle for the liturgical year. John Taylor Ward, baritone; Elisse Albian, soprano; Manami Mizumoto, violin; Gaia Saetermoe-Howard, oboe; Doug Balliett, viola da gamba and direction; Elliot Figg, harpsichord and direction Theotokos is a modern Baroque church ensemble that composes and performs a new cantata every week based on the liturgical readings assigned to that date. Telemann is one of the most prolific composers in history. He was considered by his contemporaries to be one of the leading German composers of the time, and he was compared favourably to his friend Johann Sebastian Bach, who made Telemann the godfather and namesake of his son Carl Philipp Emanuel. As part of his duties, he wrote a considerable amount of music for educating organists under his direction. This includes 48 chorale preludes and 20 small fugues (modal fugues) to accompany his chorale harmonisations for 500 hymns. Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst is a year-cycle of 72 church cantatas composed and published by Telemann in 1725-1726.
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