By: Tiffany S

The recent publication of Georg Philipp Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G Major (TWV 51:G9) by violist and scholar Xue Ding (JW Pepper) represents a significant advancement in historically informed performance resources for violists. This edition offers performers a deeper understanding of Baroque ornamentation practices by uniquely combining Telemann’s original text with meticulously researched embellishments, grounded in 18th-century performance traditions as documented in primary sources.

Xue Ding: Award-Winning Violist and Scholar

With a rare synthesis of strong theoretical and historical knowledge and artistic sensitivity, Xue Ding brings intellectual depth to performance and vitality to scholarship. Her current DMA studies at Stony Brook University, under the mentorship of Lawrence Dutton and Matthew Lipman, cap a distinguished academic trajectory through Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Mannes School of Music, where she cultivated both orchestral precision (MM in Orchestral Performance) and soloistic nuance under pedagogues including Craig Mumm, Patinka Kopec, Karen Dreyfus, Daniel Panner, and Dimitri Murrath.

Ding’s competition victories—notably 1st Prize at the International Shining Stars Competition, the Fuchs Chamber Competition at Manhattan School of Music, the Widder String Quartet Competition at Manhattan School of Music, 1st Prize at the International Shining Stars Competition, Gold Prize at the International Virtuoso Competition, 2nd Prize at the New York Artists International Competition, the New York International Music Concours, the George Bizet International Music Competition—Platinum Prize in the Baroque category and Special Prize for excellent musicianship, the Erik Satie International Music Competition—Platinum Prize in the concerto category and Gold Prize in the professional category, the Best Classical Musicians Award—Platinum Award in the best professional musician category, and 2nd Prize in the American Viola Society’s Dalton Research Competition—reflect her capacity to marry technical command with interpretative insight. Her DMA coursework and teachers motivated her to do more research to deepen her understanding of the music and build her reputation as a scholar. Her Journal of the American Viola Society publications dissect French impressionism in Loeffler and existential minimalism in Pärt with the same nuance she applies to crafting historically informed cadenzas for her JW Pepper editions of Stamitz and Telemann. Her interest in doing research on Classical and Baroque cadenzas started when she was searching for a topic for her lecture recital.

Telemann’s Music and the Art of Ornamentation

Telemann’s music epitomizes the elegance and inventiveness of the Baroque period. As one of the most prolific composers of his time, he balanced structural clarity with expressive freedom, often leaving space for performers to contribute their own artistry through ornamentation. In the slow movements of his works, adding embellishments was not just common—it was expected. However, not every musician of the time (just like today) was naturally adept at improvisation. Recognizing this, and as a composer deeply invested in pedagogy, Telemann left implicit invitations for performers to embellish his works and gave examples in his XII Methodical Sonatas. Telemann provided guidance in his XII Methodical Sonatas, which serve as a masterclass in Baroque ornamentation.

There are two different ornamentation styles—one Italian, the other German. These sonatas, playable on either violin or flute, give a good example of German-style ornamentation, which focuses on enriching the harmonic progression and is usually pre-planned and written out.

A Scholar’s Approach to Embellishment

In crafting her ornamentations for the concerto’s Largo movement, Ding meticulously studied Telemann’s techniques in the Methodical Sonatas. She focused particularly on the first movement of Sonata No. 4 from the second volume, which shares the same tempo and meter (*Largo, 4/4*) as the concerto’s opening.

To ensure authenticity, Ding analyzed the figured bass, aligning her embellishments with the work’s harmonic progression. Her approach reflects the German tradition of pre-planned, structurally coherent ornamentation while remaining stylistically faithful to Telemann’s voice.

A Pedagogical and Performative Edition

Ding’s edition presents the original concerto on the top staff, with her embellished version below, allowing performers to compare the two. Following Telemann’s own pedagogical model, this format serves both as a performable interpretation and a foundation for further improvisation.

In the preface to his Methodical Sonatas, Telemann encouraged musicians to “proceed from the easy to the ornate.” Ding’s edition embraces this philosophy, inviting violists to use her ornamentations as a starting point rather than a final word. By doing so, she bridges historical practice and modern performance, encouraging a dynamic engagement with Telemann’s music.

This publication marks a significant contribution to the viola repertoire, offering both practical insights for performers and a scholarly perspective on Baroque performance practice.

Now available through JW Pepper

Published by JW Pepper, this edition is available here: Telemann Viola Concerto