Telemann + Muddy Waters

The sarabande by Telemann is rather dark, slow and ornate, with lots of the trills and dynamics common to the baroque period. It's a pretty calm and relaxing piece, even if it's somber at times. I like the fact that it sounds like chamber music, and performed by only a few musicians, which gives you the chance to hear each player fully.

"Baby Please Don't Go" as performed by muddy waters is quite aesthetically different. Blues, while still very precise and intricate, has a very different quality from classical music and it sounds more informal/casual. I can't really make out all of the lyrics but it seems like he's singing about something pretty sad, which typical of the genre, doesn't totally match the upbeat and dance-able tune of the song.

In Hoffmann's statement where he references the blues and then Telemann, he makes a connection between major keys and "thinking of things rationally."  He mentions Telemann when talking about this, as if Telemann only ever composed in major keys. I guess what he's trying to say is that Telemann and classical music in general (major key) is too rigid for someone like him, who's got a boundless imagination and sees stardust in cornflakes and stuff like that. He'd rather write blues, which he would consider as having more feel and imagination.