Miklós Spányi, the performer on this recording, has won first prizes at international harpsichord competitions in Nantes (1984) and Paris (1987).
Composer's Artistic Vision
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach dedicated these sonatas to his pupil Carl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg, a discerning music lover and generous patron.
Composer Biography
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach composed the six "Württemberg" Sonatas in 1743 while suffering from gout in Bad Töplitz, a Bohemian spa.
Interpretation
Miklós Spányi chose to record the "Württemberg" Sonatas on a clavichord built in 1999 by Joris Potvlieghe, a facsimile of a 1785 instrument by Gottfried Joseph Horn.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's "Württemberg" Sonatas are exceptionally demanding and were intended for skillful, professional keyboard players, unlike his later published sets which included easier pieces for amateurs.
Compositional Technique
The "Württemberg" Sonatas incorporate diverse musical styles, including learned fugal writing, rhythms suggesting a French overture, and drumming accompaniments (Trommelbass) found in Italian operas.
Instruments
Although the engraved sonatas designate the harpsichord, the frequent dynamic changes (f-p-pp) in the "Württemberg" Sonatas imply the clavichord as an equally suitable instrument.
