Sigma Alpha Iota

Spring 2021 20 20 P A N P I P E S A World of Music Hamburg's Magnificent Seven By Jayne I. Hanlin U ntil recently, whenever I heard about the magnificent seven, I'd think about the iconic 1960 Hollywood movie. Now, however, I think about the magnificent seven musicians in the museums in Composers Quarter in Hamburg, Germany: Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), Johann Adolf Hasse (1699-1783), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847), Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), and Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Each of them has at least one strong tie to this city—birth, residence, or work. Placed outside on the cobblestone sidewalks, cutout wooden busts of each composer greet visitors. Inside the six newest museums, texts and touch screens are in German, but headphones and audioguides give relevant and interesting information in several languages and play corresponding musical excerpts. During my visit, I was privileged instead to have a guided English tour of these museums by Dr. Alexander Odefey, Curator. Prior to 2018, not all of these composers were featured. e first composer museum on Peterstraße was opened in 1971. Devoted to Johannes Brahms, who was born just a few blocks away, the museum became part of the complex in 2015 but still has a separate entrance. He composed in many genres, but not all works were published. He was a perfectionist and at times destroyed his own manuscripts, including about twenty string quartets. On display in his museum is a tafelklavier (square piano). Built in 1859, this Baumgardten & Heins instrument was used by Brahms to give lessons. In 2018-2019, the piano was restored by Ulrich Weymar. (For more museum details, see "Visiting Brahms in Hamburg" Winter 2014 PAN PIPES.) Opened in 2011, the second oldest museum, which honors Telemann, is in the city where he resided from 1721 until his death. His exhibits focus on the many musical hats he wore in the city. As Municipal Director of Music for the five cathedrals, he wrote numerous compositions, including 72 cantatas annually for a quarter of a century, as well as 46 passions. He was also Artistic Director of

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