The three keyboard concertos on this album were composed between 1743 and 1746, a period when Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was intensely active and working to establish his reputation.
Instruments
The fortepiano, an instrument with hammer action, was built and used long before the 18th century, contradicting the former belief that it only became known in the last quarter of that century.
Interpretation
The performers on this album use a copy of a Silbermann fortepiano, built by Jan van den Hemel, which has a clear, fluty tone that blends well with strings and allows fast passages to be audible.
Composer Biography
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the second son of Johann Sebastian Bach, spent the first decade of his professional career as a keyboard player at the court of Frederick the Great in Berlin.
Compositional Technique
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's concertos, like those on this album, typically follow a three-movement structure with 'ritornello form,' alternating sections played by the string ensemble (tutti) and solo keyboard.
Recording & Production
Optional wind parts, not mentioned in Bach's Nachlaß catalogue, were included in this recording at the repeated request of the orchestra players, who found them splendid.
Cultural Impact
One of the concertos on this album was pirated by a leading London music publisher, John Walsh, revealing the extent of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's fame due to the absence of copyright laws.
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