When in the second half of the 18th century the name Bach was used,
by and large it referred to Carl Philipp Emanuel. He was by a long chalk the
most famous composer in Germany, and well-known even beyond the borders of
his country. Composers of a later generation were strongly influenced by his
compositions, especially his keyboard works. The English scholar Thomas
Twining even stated that Europe was in the grasp of
Carlophilipemanuelbachomania. His friend Charles Burney once paid
Emanuel a visit in Hamburg. At his request the then already aged composer
improvised a piece at his beloved clavichord. Soon he was so overwhelmed
with emotion that tears welled up in his eyes.
This bears witness to a feature of the style of the
Empfindsamkeit of which Bach was one of the main proponents. Emotion
certainly played a role in the music of the preceding era which was
represented by his father Johann Sebastian. He and composers of his time
aimed at stirring the feelings of an audience through the use of
Affekte. These were not personal: they didn't represent the
composer's own emotions nor were the performers expected to share those
emotions. The age of sensibility or
Empfindsamkeit as it is sometimes
translated saw a change. Carl Philipp Emanuel specifically stated that the
performer had to
feel the emotions which were expressed in the music.
Otherwise it was impossible to communicate them to an audience.
That ideal is particularly expressed in his own keyboard
compositions. He was famous as an improviser, and one must assume that many
of his keyboard works found their origin in such improvisations. This
explains their often very personal character and their capricious texture.
The
Fantasia in f sharp minor which opens this disc can be considered
the most eloquent reflection of the composer's ideals. It was originally
written for keyboard solo and it is telling that it was called "Carl Philipp
Emanuel Bachs Empfindungen". It was his last keyboard work and is a sampling
of emotions, which follow each other in quick succession and seemingly at
random. Strong emotional outbursts, introverted episodes, sudden pauses -
you just never know what is to come next. The key of F sharp minor was
seldom used in previous eras and was characterised by Johann Mattheson as
"misanthropic". The tempo indication points in the same direction: "sehr
traurig und ganz langsam" (very sorrowful and very slow). Later Bach added a
part for violin which adds little of any real substance, but rather gives
colour and additional weight to some passages. It also serves to emphasise
the dynamic contrasts so typical of the piece.
This fantasia is followed by a series of variations on the famous
Folia theme. It is a virtuosic showpiece which reflects the
composer's own brilliance at the keyboard. In comparison the last piece in
the programme, the
Arioso in A for keyboard and violin, also a series
of variations, is more modest in this respect, and more 'conventional', as
it were. This must not be taken as inferring that it is in any way less
compelling.
Bach composed few pieces for keyboard with violin. In comparison his
oeuvre for keyboard with transverse flute is much larger, probably because
it was the most fashionable instrument of his time. Add to this the love for
the flute of his employer for many years, Frederick the Great. His earliest
sonatas with a violin part were written when he was still under the guidance
of his father and are not unlike the latter's sonatas for harpsichord and
violin. The later sonatas show more of the characteristics of his keyboard
works, especially in regard to the expression of emotion. That comes
especially to the fore in the
adagio ma non troppo from the
Sonata
in c minor. The violin seems here to play with a mute fitted, but the
liner-notes don't mention it. It would be in line with that time's
convention of strings playing
con sordino in the slow movements of
chamber music and symphonies. On this CD the balance favours the violin a
little too much.
The two remaining keyboard works are again vintage Emanuel. In the
Sonata in A he makes use of the whole dynamic range of the keyboard,
from
pianissimo to
fortissimo. The
Fantasia in c minor
belongs to his earliest compositions. It is one of the
18
Probestücke which were included in his treatise
Versuch
über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen, printed in 1753. It is a
rather dramatic piece which inspired the poet Heinrich Wilhelm von
Gerstenberg (1737-1823) to add a German adaptation of Hamlet's monologue to
it. This piece has been recorded by Klaus Mertens and Ludger Rémy;
CPO 999 549-2.
The choice of keyboard instrument is always a tricky affair in music
of this period. Various instruments coexisted: the harpsichord, the
fortepiano and the clavichord. There are various arguments in favour of one
or the other. The clavichord is perfectly suited to many of Bach's keyboard
works but is less suitable for music with a melody instrument. The
harpsichord is sometimes a problem because of its inability to produce
crescendos and diminuendos. Despite its two manuals it can't do justice to
the array of dynamic indications in many keyboard works. Aline Zylberajch
has opted for the tangent piano which was very popular at the time. The
number of extant instruments bears witness to that. It has various features
which make it perfectly suited to keyboard pieces as well as chamber music.
It has many options in regard to registration and can sound like a
harpsichord as well as a fortepiano. Miklos Spányi used it frequently
in his celebrated recording project of all Bach's keyboard works (BIS). Ms
Zylberajch perfectly explores its characteristics and as a result the many
twists and turns come off with great incisiveness. Just listen to the
opening
Fantasia where the playing of both artists is simply
breathtaking. It is programmatic for the whole recording.
This is a most compelling disc which fully reveals the fascinating
musical personality of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
