Aapo Häkkinen, the performer on this album, won second prize and the VRT prize at the Bruges Harpsichord Competition immediately after obtaining his diploma in 1998.
Cultural Impact
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's compositions were admired by several generations, with composers like Beethoven and Schubert considering him their musical father.
Instruments
For Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and his followers, the most expressive and intimate compositions were reserved for the clavichord.
Composition History
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's Fantasia in C minor may have been a 'tombeau' for his father, Johann Sebastian Bach, due to its distinct similarities to the Chromatic Fantasia.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach believed that keyboard players, especially in fantasias, could use a declamatory style to audaciously move between affects and spontaneously master listeners' feelings.
Performer Biography
Aapo Häkkinen, the performer, has been the Artistic Director of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra since 2003.
Composer Biography
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was widely known for his passionate, unheard-of improvisations on the clavichord, particularly in the form of free fantasia.
