2023
18th-Century Musicians Saw Themselves as Craftworkers
18th-century metalworkers
The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.
— L.P. Hartley: The Go-Between (1953)
In the 18th-century people thought differently about music (and the arts) compared to the 19th and later centuries. Neither way is better or more correct than the other, but a deeper appreciation of 18th-century music can come with an understanding of the motivations and ideals of 18th-century musicians.
Musicians (and other artists) saw themselves as craftworkers. Even Bach.
Telemann’s Flute Fantasias
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1676) played the flute (among several other instruments), which explains his understanding of the capabilities of the instrument and his ability to write so idiomatically for it.
Flute players regard the Fantasias as some of the best music ever written for solo flute.
