Music history partly consists of artificial constructions. For example, it seems that after the death of
Johann Sebastian Bach, there was nothing for quite a while, until the Viennese school (
Haydn,
Mozart,
Beethoven) asserted itself. In reality, there were countless transitional figures, some of whom have remained in memory a little, some not at all. Bach's most famous son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
… is one such figure of the lost generation, but in his case with a solid reputation. The Arioso con Variazione is a fine example of the sensitive bourgeois style (Empfindsamer Stil) of which son Bach was an exponent. The Sonata in g minor might seem familiar to Bach lovers (J.S. Bach that is). Indeed, this early sonata has been attributed to both father and son. Perhaps both worked on it; after all, the son was a pupil of Dad. The later Sonata in D (1731, revised 1746) is already a more modern work. The Sonatas in b minor and c minor are from a set of four from 1763. All this is performed by two of Britain's best-known Baroque specialists today, Rachel Podger (violin) and Kristian Bezuidenhout (harpsichord, fortepiano). Rachel Podger's solo album Tutta Sola was named Recording of the Year 2023 by BBC Music Magazine. (HJ)more
