Six Sonatas, TWV 40:103 - Selected Movement

Six Sonatas, TWV 40:103 - Largo

Develop expressive slow playing
Master D Major with F# and C#
Practice Baroque ornamentation

About This Piece

Composer: Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Difficulty: Early Intermediate

Notes Used: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D (high), E (high)

Time Signature: 3/4

Key: D Major

Fingering Review

Full Movement (Simplified)

A deeply expressive slow movement in D Major that allows for beautiful tone and ornamentation.

Practice Tips

Largo tempo: Very slow and expressive - let each note sing
Sharp notes: Pay careful attention to F# and C# fingerings
Tone quality: Focus on producing your most beautiful sound
Ornamentation: Consider adding trills or grace notes on long notes

Practice Exercises

Master the D Major scale with F# and C#.

Practice the D Major chord tones.

Shape the noble opening gesture.

Practice the expressive descending passage.

Work on the final cadence with leading tone.

Historical Context

The Largo from TWV 40:103 showcases Telemann's gift for writing expressive slow movements. "Largo" indicates a very slow, broad tempo, giving the performer plenty of time to shape phrases and add ornaments. D Major was considered a brilliant, joyful key in the Baroque period, associated with celebrations and festive occasions. Even in a slow tempo, this key retains a certain nobility and warmth. The movement's relatively simple harmonic structure provides an ideal framework for the performer to add personal expression through dynamics, vibrato, and ornamentation - skills that were expected of every Baroque musician. This is an excellent piece for students to develop their musical maturity and expressive capabilities.

Performance Goal: Play with a rich, singing tone and expressive phrasing. Take time to breathe and shape each phrase beautifully. Consider adding appropriate ornaments to enhance the Baroque character.

Next Steps

Once you can play this movement confidently, try:

Adding trills, mordents, or appoggiaturas as ornaments
Experimenting with different vibrato speeds
Learning to improvise simple ornamental variations
Studying other Baroque slow movements for comparison