May 10, 2024

CPE Bach (1714-1788)

1 hour 3 minutes

In 1773, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach sat down to record his life story. He’d been asked to write it down for a new book on German music and it made him one of the first composers to produce an autobiography. This week, Donald Macleod follows the composer’s story, using Bach’s own account as his guide. Bach’s words provide fascinating insights into the things he considered most important but it’s possible that what he chose to leave out is even more revealing.

Music Featured:

L'Aly Rupalich, Wq 117 No 27

Symphony for Strings and Continuo in G major, Wq 182 No 1

Fantasia for keyboard in C major, Wq 61 No 6

Trio Sonata in B minor, Wq 143

Keyboard Concerto in G major, Wq 3

Symphony in G major, Wq 173 (1st mvt)

Trio Sonata in A Minor, Wq 148

Sonata in A minor, Wq 132 (1st mvt)

Cello Concerto No 3 in A major, Wq 172 (2nd & 3rd mvts)

Sonata in E minor, Wq 49 No 3

Magnificat in D, Wq 215 (1, Magnificat anima mea Dominum; 5, Fecit potentiam; 10. Sicut erat in principio)

Keyboard Sonata in E flat major, Wq 52 No 1( 2nd & 3rd mvts)

Sonata in C minor ‘Sanguineus and Melancholicus’ Wq 161 No 1

Phyllis and Thirsis, Wq 232 (excerpt)

Sinfonia in B-Flat Major, Wq 182 No 2 (3rd mvt)

30 Geistliche Gesänge mit Melodien, Book 2, Wq 198: (Nos 2 & 8)

Die Israeliten in der Wüste, Wq 238 (extract from Part 1)

Symphony in B minor, Wq 182 No 5

Rondo in E Major, Wq 58 No 3

Rondo in F Major, Wq 57 No 5

Sonata in D Minor, Wq 57 No 4 (2nd mvt)

Quartet in G Major, Wq 95 (3rd mvt)

Heilig, Wq 217

Keyboard Sonatina in D Major, Wq 109

Freye Fantasie in F sharp minor, Wq 80

Presented by Donald Macleod

Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Audio Wales and West

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for CPE Bach (1714-1788) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yr0r

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

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By BBC Radio 3

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