C.P.E. Bach (1714-1788)
Symphony in F major, H. 665 (1775)
“[C.P.E. Bach] is the father, and we are the children. Those of us who do anything right learned it from him.”—Mozart
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, better known as C.P.E. Bach—and not to be confused with his father, Johann Sebastian Bach—was born in Weimar, Germany, in 1714, the second surviving son of six children. His father wrote, “[My children] are all born musicians. I can form both a vocal and an instrumental ensemble within my family.”
But C.P.E. had an independent streak and broke a seven-generation chain of loyalty to the Bach family business by studying law like his godfather, Georg Philipp Telemann. However, it was not long before he returned to music, as did Telemann, a multi-instrumentalist and prolific composer.
In fact, C.P.E.’s first job wasn’t a typical “court” case; in 1740, he moved to Berlin to be a harpsichordist in the court of Frederick the Great (King of Prussia). He stayed for 30 years in spite of never being credited as an official composer, never advancing within the court, being called argumentative, and criticized for his odd “affected” playing.
Involvement by his father in 1747 did nothing to boost C.P.E.’s career. The meeting instead led to Johann’s composing the Musical Offering, a collection of works based on a single theme provided by the king.
On the upside, C.P.E.’s job provided a generous salary and required him to play only every other week, leaving him abundant time to write keyboard music. He found the work dull (“sonatas for the ladies,” as he called it), but it was a significant contribution to his income.
He also wrote a set of Four Symphonies in Twelve Obbligato Parts. Still Italian in style, as Italian Baroque music, the works were progressive and featured virtuosic string writing, independent wind parts, and quirky deviations of mood and harmony.
Following the three-movement form structure, the symphonies consisted of a slow movement between two fast movements. Among them is Symphony in F Major, written around 1775. There are no minuets to be found.
The first, fast movement, Allegro di molto, begins with a theme of short statements, followed by a pause before swiftly transitioning into longer statements. After a short pause, the woodwinds play and the theme travels through the strings. The second theme consists of short statements by the strings with the wind instruments adding to the harmonies. The movement alternates between tutti sections (whole orchestra playing) and lighter writing for two or three voices.
The second movement, Larghetto, is rather dark, spare, and full of dissonances (as one would imagine a stately funeral procession), as the violas and cellos play a theme in D minor that is then taken up by the whole orchestra. There’s a long shake at points in the melody which, in C.P.E.’s time, indicated strong emotion.
The last movement, Presto, returns to F major in two large, repeated sections. A lively theme is taken up by the violins and winds (in dialog), the rest of the orchestra joining in. The piano plays a few bars; the orchestra responds with a forte; the section repeats. The music changes keys and elaborates on the theme before repeating again. It’s rapid, upbeat music that lasts a mere two minutes.
Unusually removed from the elegance and balance of the era, C.P.E.’s music is almost post-modern, especially with the stopping-starting that leaves listeners often unsettled. Straddling the period between Baroque and Classical music, C.P.E. was a highly influential composer; yet, of his works, only the four symphonies would experience a steady performance history.
C.P.E. left the King’s court in 1768 to become Hamburg’s director of music, succeeding Telemann. Business savvy, C.P.E. established agents in Europe’s musical capitals, ramping up the circulation of his music.
He also wrote An Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments, with technical advice about ornamentation, improvisation, and correct fingering …“More is lost by incorrect fingering than can be compensated for by all the art and good taste in the world”, he wrote.
C.P.E. was one of the first to recommend the use of the thumbs when playing the keyboard, something his father also allowed in certain circumstances, but C.P.E. made it a standard. He also thought emotional expression was of equal importance to technical ability—another first.
“Since a musician cannot move others unless he himself is moved,” C.P.E. wrote, “he must of necessity feel all of the affects that he hopes to arouse in his listeners.”
Both Haydn and Beethoven swore by the essay, which changed keyboard technique forever. Mozart said, “[C.P.E.] is the father, and we are the children. Those of us who do anything right learned it from him.”
During his lifetime, C.P.E.’s music reached a wider circulation than his father’s, whose reputation had faded. The name “Bach” now meant C.P.E. But by the 19th century, despite being highly regarded by many top composers including Brahms, C.P.E.’s reputation slipped back beneath the shadow of his father.
