Bach: Complete Keyboard Concertos, Vol. 1

Featuring

Péter Szűts
Miklós Spányi
Concerto Armonico
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

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Instruments

The harpsichord used on this recording is a 1991 copy by Werner Stannat, after a 1734 Hieronymus Albre Hass instrument, featuring a 16' stop which was more typical in German harpsichords than previously thought.

Composition History

The first three concertos on this album were composed in the 1730s and revised in the 1740s, with dates known from Bach's estate catalogue published after his death.

Composition History

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach composed 52 concertos between 1733 and 1788, with the majority written during his early career at the court of Frederick the Great in Berlin.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's compositional style is characterized by dramatic contrast between soloist and accompaniment, inventiveness in part writing, and a tendency to develop musical ideas quickly.

Interpretation

The performer, Miklós Spányi, chose a large harpsichord for these early concertos, specifically a copy of a Hieronymus Albre Hass instrument, to make full use of its rich alto-tenor register.

Composer Biography

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, son of Johann Sebastian Bach, was not only a famous composer but also the author of a best-selling treatise on playing keyboard instruments.

Composition History

There was confusion about the authorship of Bach's first concerto, as some early manuscript copies attributed it to his father, Johann Sebastian Bach.