Customer Reviews

CPE Bach: Symphonies; Cello Concertos

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There is enough action in these pieces to appeal to lovers of Romantic music, enough fluid melody and evenness of structure to appeal to lovers of the Baroque, and enough plain musical pleasure to be had for anyone willing to take C.P.E. Bach on his own merits. The symphonies are quirky, dramatic, sometimes even a bit bizarre, and yet balanced; the cello concerti have that quality of galant-mixed-with-disquiet that pops up often in the works of C.P.E. The musicians are as tasteful and in command as Leonhardt is himself when alone at the keyboard. A great value!

C.P.E. Bach was one of the most famous and talented composers of the 18th century. He tends to be obscured in the shadows of his famous predecessor, J.S. Bach, his father, and of his famous successors, Haydn and Mozart. However, C.P.E. Bach was a composer of significant talent in his own right, influenced by his father, but with his own individual style, and important enough as a composer in his time to influence others, notably Haydn and Mozart, who both admired his music.

This CD is an excellent recording of some of C.P.E. Bach's work. The melodies and harmonies are inventive, the largo and adagio movements are quite beautiful, and the allegro movements are bright, lively, engaging, and often have a strong rhythmic energy that makes them an absolute pleasure to listen to. I particularly enjoyed the Cello Concertos, listening to them several times when I first bought this CD. Anner Bylsma is an outstanding cello soloist.

The orchestra, under Gustav Leonhardt, gives a first-rate performance. The sound quality is crystal clear, with an excellent balance between the cello soloist and the orchestra in the three cello concertos. The CD insert has an interesting and well-written essay about the life of C.P.E. Bach and these works. Also, the price of this excellent 2-CD set is very reasonable. Highly recommended.

The Virgin 'Veritas' label has released some excellent recordings (Vivaldi's Opus 3 and 9, for instance), and this double-disc issue of C.P.E's symphonies/cello concertos is no exception. [...] these discs sound absolutely fantastic!

C.P.E. Bach, probably J.S. Bach's best-known son, composed a number of great works, some of which are featured on this release. Born in 1714, C.P.E Bach's compositions served as a musical bridge between the late Baroque and Classical periods (he was a contemporary of Vivaldi, Mozart, and Haydn).

Both of C.P.E.'s cello concertos and symphonies remind me of those composed by Boccherini (another first-rate -- if often neglected -- 18th century composer). Just as Boccherini's works have been overshadowed by Mozart's works and life, C.P.E. Bach's elegant symphonies and beautiful concertos sometimes get lost in his father's prodigious output. Fortunately, labels like Virgin, Hyperion, and Denon have attempted to fill the gap by issuing their works on disc.

[...] this 2-disc set is unbeatable. But I recommend listening to Bach's better-known works first (like the Brandenburg Concertos, Violin concertos, etc.) before tackling his son's compositions (if only to appreciate 1) how C.P.E was influenced by his father, and 2) how his works reflect both late Baroque and Classical influences).

The musical genius of the Bach family continues to astonish me. While I am already familiar with the patriarch Johann Sebastian and his youngest son Johann Christian (the English Bach), this very affordable two disc set was my first foray into the career of CPE Bach. I initally heard an excerpt of this recording on the radio in Massachusetts, and quickly added it to my collection. It features some very thoughtful and inspiring music. The symphonies are great fun, but even more commendable are these vibrant versions of CPE Bach's cello concertos performed with the rich, full tone of a cello built in 1695! Truly wonderful-a fine example of period performances at their very best. This first-rate recording offers a perfect way to introduce yourself to another member of the Bach family who made a brilliant contribution to classical music.

C.P.E. Bach is an acquired taste I suppose, and the symphonies and cello concertos in this recording show Bach in fine form. The two cello concertos, also written for flute and harpsichord, show Bach during his Berlin years where the ritornello form is still prominent in his works. Even so, these works show very creative balance between the orchestra and soloist, and highlight Bach's unique style, particularly in the middle movements, with their sighs, and ornamentation.

The five symphonies, four from Wq. 183 and one from Wq. 182 (commissioned I believe by Baron van Sweiten), show Bach from his mature Hamburg years, his personal style well entrenched, and intensely creative. Abrupt stops, changes in direction, and all kinds of musical surprises are contained in these works. C.P.E. Bach is hard to label as a composer, because there are aspects of his style still steeped in the baroque, while adopting much from the stil galant, while the form has much that is classical. In some ways, it fortells of the violent and emotional music of the romantic as well.

The performance by Leonhardt and his cast is very, very good. I really enjoy this CD and highly recommend it to anyone interested in music from the late 18th century.

I especially liked symphony #5 and highly recommend that for a seperate MP3 purchase if you do not want to buy the whole CD. The playing is fast, inventive, interesting and energetic. With the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's period instruments and original gut strings, the sound of the playing remarkably compliments the music. The Cello works are very nice, too.

In his time, the late Barogue leading into the Classical, C.P.E. Bach was more popular than his great father J.S. Bach. C.P.E.'s rococo music was viewed as more advanced than his father's supposedly stodgy music, which is not true, but you do hear a progressive and inventive design to C.P.E. Bach's music, which. On the other hand, C.P.E. Bach does occasionally have some similarities to his father's music. He is occasionally able to tap into his father's hotline to something universal in his music, which has that "something extra" to the music, even when it's very inventive. On the downside, the symphones do not have much staying power. They are not great works you can come back to again and again and probe the depths.