CPE Bach Keyboard Concertos

[John Hudock]

For the past few days I have been listening to CPE Bach keyboard concertos recorded by Miklos Spanyi. While there are plenty of minor quibbles to make:  like the frequently made complained about Vivaldi, there is a lot of 'sameness' especially when you listen to them back to back,  the writing is uneven, sometimes the performances falter a bit, etc... But those aside, what has struck me most listening to these pieces en masse is how much marvelous invention there is (also like Vivaldi).  There are exciting fast movements and beautiful and elegiac slow movements. And while the performance lag occasionally, overall I think Spanyi has done a fine job.

Would anyone else care to share their impressions of the CPE concertos, share any favorites among the close to 40 concertos (is the edition complete at 17 volumes? I had seen some suggestions that there were more volumes expected)

[eschiss1]

I seem to recall Girdlestone, in his work on Mozart's piano concertos (I may have this very wrong), lamented how few of CPE Bach's keyboard concertos were at all known or even published or heard. (Alfred Einstein though JC Bach much more an influence on Mozart than CPE Bach, but anyway, non sequitur I suspect.)  This recording, like the published edition-in-progress if I remember correctly, fills a real gap very very well, from what I've heard from it.  Yes- there have been individual recordings of these works over the years; and a number of these works are, too, rearrangements (with some changes to fit the keyboard...) of works better known in other forms (organ concertos, wind concertos, symphonies...) (I think...); but the scholarship of the BIS edition is very high (no surprise), the performances are very good, and yes, I agree.

(And there are now more CD recordings (not reissues) of CPE Bach keyboard concertos, from cpo and elsewhere I believe. I hope this is a trend.)
Also glad to see the keyboard sonatas, which I knew mainly from the selection published in 2 Dover volumes extracted from the Farrenc edition, recorded also by Spanyi. (With some competing selections on Naxos, Olympia (rip), and elsewhere...) Very welcome !

[Alan Howe]

This topic - although interesting - is beyond the remit of this forum:

General discussion about Unsung Composers of the romantic era and their music

[John Hudock]

This topic - although interesting - is beyond the remit of this forum:

General discussion about Unsung Composers of the romantic era and their music

A rather bizarre bit of pedantry. As I glance at the most recent 20 or so topics I see the following:

Naxos Japanese Classics

Anton Eberl (1765-1807): another Mozart?

The music of Laszlo Lajtha (1892 - 1963)
     
the music of Tikhon Khrennikov (1913-2007)

Contemporary (i.e. still living) Composers...

None of which seem to qualify.

[thalbergmad]

You might have reason on your side, by he has the controls.

Thal

[Kriton]

Naxos Japanese Classics
Anton Eberl (1765-1807): another Mozart?
The music of Laszlo Lajtha (1892 - 1963)
the music of Tikhon Khrennikov (1913-2007)
Contemporary (i.e. still living) Composers...

Although you're right, personally, I can't say I would miss any of the above items dearly. How about the following: put them all in some kind of "non-romantic unsung music" subsection, so that I can steer clear of that one?

[Alan Howe]

The range of discussion provided for on this forum has been kept pretty flexible at both ends of the stated remit, i.e. basically the Romantic era, but with an openness to the lead-up to Romanticism (i.e. late 18th century) and to 20th century tonal music. That's how it's going to stay!

[wunderkind]

Naxos Japanese Classics
Anton Eberl (1765-1807): another Mozart?
The music of Laszlo Lajtha (1892 - 1963)
the music of Tikhon Khrennikov (1913-2007)
Contemporary (i.e. still living) Composers...

Although you're right, personally, I can't say I would miss any of the above items dearly. How about the following: put them all in some kind of "non-romantic unsung music" subsection, so that I can steer clear of that one?

Under what specific delusion are you operating when you categorize the Naxos Japanese Classics as "non-romantic music?"  Why not listen to one or two of the works recorded therein, and learn?

But, perhaps "steering clear" of it all is the better solution for you.

[Alan Howe]

This discussion is now closed. Please move on.

[Kriton]

But, perhaps "steering clear" of it all is the better solution for you.

I'm sorry, the discussion may be closed, but I don't really get this one...

[Alan Howe]

As I said, this discussion is now closed. Move on, please!