O erhabnes Glück der Ehe

Matthias Mutzenbecher was born in Kiel in 1653 and began his training as a merchant in Hamburg in 1669. He established his own business in 1678 and soon became a renowned member of the Hamburg populace: senator, colonel in the civic regiment, and even a magistrate. He was an important man and a patron of the city’s music director Georg Philipp Telemann. Only the best would suffice for the festive music on the occasion of the golden wedding anniversary of this highly esteemed and influential man in 1732. Since the life expectancy then was only about forty years, a golden wedding anniversary was a rare event. The festive day began with a sacred oratorio, and while it was being performed, the senator proceeded to the altar with his “dearest wedded wife” for the anniversary blessing. “The entire highly noble council was in attendance in their state regalia.” The ensuing festive banquet was held at the home of the couple’s eldest son. Here the serenata, the secular part of the wedding anniversary music, was performed. As the printed text states, it featured a »contention of the worldly blessings of the state of marriage heard to a table composition. If the oratorio may be said to convey a venerable sound picture with its trumpets and timpani, then the serenata unfolds its mirthful animation with a highly varied instrumentation. With this recording cpo adds yet another gem to its Telemann discovery trove.