Funeral Nation

Telemann wrote funeral compositions for many persons. His setting of the Funeral Music for Emperor Charles VII – transmitted solely in the form of a sketch in the composer’s own hand with numerous corrections and writing simplifications and in part without a text – already points to typical features of his late vocal work: a treatment of the vocal parts that is melodically sometimes austere, mostly coloratura-poor, and systematic in its employment of verbal meter, a melodic design sharpened by succinct rhythms and suspensions, and a harmonic structure enriched by pointedly set interdominants. This funerary music is set in the context of the state compositions ordered by the Hamburg city council for the elections, coronations, weddings, and deaths of Holy Roman Emperors of the German Nation.

Music is often one of the most important parts of creating a fully formed viewing experience, the thing that makes or breaks a piece of storytelling. Whether or not you are familiar with him, Tree Adams has been the composer bringing you those sounds on many of your favorite television shows, from Californication to Sirens to Legends and The 100, which premieres its third season tonight on The CW…