The tangent piano was extremely popular across Europe and continued to be built until around 1850, with some instruments having a six-octave range.
Historical Context
The Seven Years' War (1756-63) significantly changed Berlin's musical life, making the livelihoods of musicians, including Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, uncertain.
Instruments
The tangent piano, used on this recording, is an early form of piano that differs from 'hammer pianos' only in its action, using freely moving wooden staves called 'tangents' instead of hammers.
Compositional Technique
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach often wrote out embellishments for repeated sections in his sonatas, demonstrating a technique he described in his Sonatas with Varied Reprises.
Composer Biography
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, a harpsichordist for King Friedrich II of Prussia, earned a good income during the war years from selling his compositions.
Composition History
The year 1766 was significant for Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, as he composed more keyboard works that year than in any other of his career, including the three sonatas on this album.
Performer Biography
Miklós Spányi, the performer on this album, has won first prizes at international harpsichord competitions in Nantes (1984) and Paris (1987).
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