It might be a bit of a generalisation, but I think it’s safe to say that an important function of composers before the post-Beethoven shift in societal roles was to provide music for events. This work was written for the re-opening/dedication of Hamburg’s St Michael’s Church, which had been destroyed by a fire in 1760. Two years later, the new structure was dedicated, and Telemann was drafted in to write some suitably celebratory music. Sure, it’s not the snappiest title (the full title is Oratorio for the dedication...