The performer, Miklós Spányi, uses both a harpsichord and a tangent piano on this recording, choosing the instrument based on the stylistic demands of each concerto.
Composer Biography
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the composer, worked for nearly 30 years as a chamber musician for King Friedrich II of Prussia before moving to Hamburg.
Compositional Technique
The Concerto in E flat major (Wq 41) features an expanded orchestra, including two obligatory flutes and two separate viola parts, suggesting a larger audience and hall.
Compositional Technique
The Concerto in C minor (Wq 31) features a unique slow movement that is a recitative for the solo keyboard, accompanied by muted strings, similar to an operatic recitativo accompagnato.
Performer Biography
Miklós Spányi, the keyboard soloist, has won first prizes at international harpsichord competitions in Nantes (1984) and Paris (1987).
Composer Biography
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's duties in Hamburg were similar to those his father, Johann Sebastian Bach, performed as Thomaskantor in Leipzig.
Instruments
The tangent piano, an early member of the piano family, is used for two of the concertos on this album, while a harpsichord is used for the third.
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