Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach considered his double chorus setting of Heilig Wq 217, composed in 1776, to be his 'swansong' of its kind, intended to ensure he would not be forgotten after his death.
Composition History
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's Magnificat Wq 215 was likely an audition piece, completed in 1749, and performed in Leipzig in 1750, possibly as his father J.S. Bach's suggestion for a successor.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, then 72, intended the 1786 concert to be a farewell to his Hamburg public.
Compositional Technique
The Symphony in D major Wq 183/1, part of a set dedicated to Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, features a novel concertante treatment of a large wind section, departing from the typical four-part string texture of north German symphonic style.
Historical Context
The 1786 concert was held for the benefit of the Medizinisches Armeninstitut, an association of doctors who treated impoverished patients free of charge in Hamburg.
Composition History
This album presents the second part of a memorable charity concert from April 9, 1786, conducted by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach in Hamburg.
Critical Reception
An obituary for Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach in the Hamburger Tagespresse called him 'one of the greatest adornments of the art of music', whose compositions would remain 'ever new, inexhaustible, great, and powerful'.
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