CPE Bach (Carl Philipp Emanuel)

[DavidW]

I want to listen to some of CPE Bach's keyboard sonatas, I stumbled upon this Spanyi recording on spotify... I wanted to know if it's worth a shot or I should spend my time with other artists:

[asin]B004H38WV0[/asin]

Spanyi performs on the clavichord.

[Leo K.]

I want to listen to some of CPE Bach's keyboard sonatas, I stumbled upon this Spanyi recording on spotify... I wanted to know if it's worth a shot or I should spend my time with other artists:

[asin]B004H38WV0[/asin]

Spanyi performs on the clavichord.

That is definitely worth it! I have about 15 vols. of this series, and Spanyi does amazing work for these sonatas. LOVE the sound of the clavichord.

[DavidW]

That is definitely worth it! I have about 15 vols. of this series, and Spanyi does amazing work for these sonatas. LOVE the sound of the clavichord.

Wow that's a super enthusiastic endorsement!   Alright it goes onto my listening queue.

[Gurn Blanston]

That is definitely worth it! I have about 15 vols. of this series, and Spanyi does amazing work for these sonatas. LOVE the sound of the clavichord.

Ditto. I have a few of the sonatas disks and all of the concertos disks in these series and haven't been disappointed yet. As you say, his clavichord is especially nice sounding.

[DavidW]

I didn't even know that CPE Bach wrote so much keyboard music!

[Gurn Blanston]

I didn't even know that CPE Bach wrote so much keyboard music!

Oh? Look here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel_Bach

It is what we cruder types call a pisspot full.

[DavidW]

Wow it looks like an output similar to Scarlatti.  And he defn. wrote more than his father, unless you also include organ music.

[Leon]

I didn't even know that CPE Bach wrote so much keyboard music!

That series is exceptional.  From my reading C.P.E. Bach was a very important composer in his time, I think one of the most famous and successul.  He is also one of my personal favorites (see my list of 25) and I am a little confused why his music is not given more attention these days. 

[Leo K.]

I am a little confused why his music is not given more attention these days. 

It is baffling indeed!

[SonicMan46]

I didn't even know that CPE Bach wrote so much keyboard music!

David - yep, Que has also been lauding those Spanyi recordings for quite a while - just now check the BIS website (HERE), and he is up to about 30 volumes of the keyboard concertos (7) and the sonatas (23) - WOW!  I have just 3 discs of CPE Bach's keyboard works which includes one of the BIS solo recordings - kind of waiting for a BIG BOX to appear but not sure if or when?  Dave

Addendum: Well, just checking Amazon which lists more volumes for the concertos, so the BIS listing may be incomplete!

[Gurn Blanston]

David - yep, Que has also been lauding those Spanyi recordings for quite a while - just now check the BIS website (HERE), and he is up to about 30 volumes of the keyboard concertos (7) and the sonatas (23) - WOW!  I have just 3 discs of CPE Bach's keyboard works which includes one of the BIS solo recordings - kind of waiting for a BIG BOX to appear but not sure if or when?  Dave

Addendum: Well, just checking Amazon which lists more volumes for the concertos, so the BIS listing may be incomplete!

I have 16 of the concerto sets, Dave. I don't know if another has been issued since...     I know it isn't complete yet, because at the least the Hamburg Concertos haven't been done yet.

[DavidW]

Wow little did I know there was a Spanyi fan club here!

I am liking the music.  I had to get back used to the quiet sound of the clavichord.  The music is easy on the ear but it sounds more complex than the usual galant fair.  The sonatas are of such quality that I could easily confuse him with Haydn or Mozart, though CPE Bach does have a different style.

[Gurn Blanston]

Wow little did I know there was a Spanyi fan club here!

I am liking the music.  I had to get back used to the quiet sound of the clavichord.  The music is easy on the ear but it sounds more complex than the usual galant fair.  The sonatas are of such quality that I could easily confuse him with Haydn or Mozart, though CPE Bach does have a different style.

Yeah, he is pretty much his own man stylistically. I have seen it ventured that he maybe had a big part in devising "sonata form", but personally I find most of his work to be on the lines of fantasia, even the ones he calls 'sonata'. Haydn does give him a lot of credit as an influence, but I think it is more on the true nature of the keyboard than on how to make a sonata, so to speak.  

[milk]

Wow little did I know there was a Spanyi fan club here!

I am liking the music.  I had to get back used to the quiet sound of the clavichord.  The music is easy on the ear but it sounds more complex than the usual galant fair.  The sonatas are of such quality that I could easily confuse him with Haydn or Mozart, though CPE Bach does have a different style.

I'm also a fan of the Spanyi recordings - both the solo and concerto cycles. I'm kind of wondering when another concerto recording is going to appear. I also wonder why CPE hasn't seemed to have received his due. CPE's music certainly has a unique quality. I guess we can console ourselves with the knowledge that, as far as I've read, he was acclaimed during his life. I'd also like to plug his Gamba and violin sonatas. Here are two great recordings:

[chasmaniac]

As for CPE, here's a nice looking set on Zig Zag. Anyone heard it?

[asin]B000BNTAHA[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

As for CPE, here's a nice looking set on Zig Zag. Anyone heard it?

I've heard the bird (or an original instrument just like him).

[Gurn Blanston]

As for CPE, here's a nice looking set on Zig Zag. Anyone heard it?

[asin]B000BNTAHA[/asin]

Oh sure, we've discussed it here a few times. At least 3 of us have that disk and think it's the cat's ass. Amandine Beyer is a very fine fiddler indeed. She is a protege of Chiara Bianchini of Ensemble 415 and it shows in her style.

[chasmaniac]

I've heard the bird (or an original instrument just like him).

Weaving trouble's braids... (in a Tom Waits growl)

[Karl Henning]

Hey, but if you knew how fond I am of birds . . . .

[Gurn Blanston]

The first sonata has just ended, but I'm ready to apply for membership in the cat's a** brigade. This is just what I was looking for. The Hummel will have to wait for fun money to be freed up, but it's on my wishlist. And I already adore the Immerseel/Seiler Mozart set, so it looks like I'm hungry for HIP in this area.

[asin]B000BNTAHA[/asin]

Ah! I thought you would like that one. It's a peach. So many great disks out there that even the hardcore music-lovers have never even heard of. BTW, I really like that Immerseel/Seiler set too. I am blessed with a plenitude of Mozart PI VS's, although not burned out on them yet by any means. But there are certainly others out there to hear, as that Hummel demonstrates.



PS - But how many of them are fronted by a parrot-in-a-blizzard?