Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714-1788)
Orchestral Symphony in D, Wq 183/1 (H 663) (1775-76) [10:43]
Orchestral Symphony in E flat, Wq 183/2 (H 664) (1775-76) [9:11]
Orchestral Symphony in F, Wq 183/3 (H 665) (1775-76) [9:05]
Orchestral Symphony in G, Wq 183/4 (H 666) (1775-76) [10:27]
Symphony in G, for strings and continuo, Wq 182/1 (H 657) [11:36]
Symphony in B flat, for strings and continuo, Wq 182/2 (H 658) [10:43]
Symphony in C, for strings and continuo, Wq 182/3 (H 659) (1773) [9:20]
Symphony in A, for strings and continuo, Wq 182/4 (H 660) (1773) [11:39]
Symphony in B minor, for strings and continuo, Wq 182/5 (H 661) (1773) [11:07]
Symphony in E, for strings and continuo, Wq 182/6 (H 662) (1773) [8:50]
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra/Hartmut Haenchen
Roland Münch (harpsichord)
rec. Christuskirche, Berlin, October 1985 [Wq 182]; October and November 1986
[Wq 183]. DDD
PHOENIX EDITION 443 [39:26 + 63:15]
As the recording date suggests, this double CD is a re-issue, originally published
by Capriccio in 1988. It was re-released most recently in 2004 as part of
their 12 CD 'CPE Bach Edition' of symphonies, concertos, keyboard music, flute
sonatas and vocal music (C49367). Phoenix have in fact already re-issued most
of the discs in that set already this summer in this, their own 'CPE Bach
Edition'. They have essentially provided a design facelift: the booklets have
attractive old school covers, clean, blockish layouts and even a colour photo
printed on the discs themselves. Admittedly the perfunctory liner-notes -
two-and-a-half columns of text in total - are nothing to get excited about,
but generally speaking the CDs each create a good impression.
In quantitative terms CPE Bach was not a great symphonist, but for sheer quality,
and therefore musicological importance, the ten 'Hamburg' works on these discs,
accounting for about half of his known output, are hard to beat. Even during
their first rehearsals, the "great variety and novelty of form and modulation"
of the six Symphonies for Strings was noted, and Emanuel described the Orchestral
Symphonies to his publisher as "the greatest thing of that kind that I have
done. My modesty prevents me from saying any more on the subject."
Though Emanuel retained the fast-slow-fast three-movement model, he had moved
away from the Italian style of his earlier 'Berlin' symphonies towards greater
orchestral texture, from the obbligato winds and minimal continuo in the Wq
183 set, to the richness of the strings in Wq 183. His usual grace, variety,
depth and excitement remain, but there is also much non-frivolous novelty
in both sets of Symphonies: for example, the running of one movement into
another without a caesura, particularly startling in the dramatic sudden turn
in the music between the first and second movements of the String Symphony
in C; the unexpected three second pause midway through the slow section of
the String Symphony in G; the amazing tone colour of the slow movement of
the Orchestral Symphony in D or the initial chord of the one in E flat; the
sudden interruption of the calm opening to the String Symphony in B minor;
and several more examples of empfindsamer Stil.
When these two discs first came out they won a Deutscher Schallplattenpreis
(now the ECHO Prize), an industry award that was fully deserved: Bach's excellent
music is given first-rate attention by Hartmut Haenchen and his fine group
of musicians. Today Haenchen is still artistic director of the CPE Bach Chamber
Orchestra, which has gone on from these relatively early days to build up
a reputation for excellent period musicianship. Given their name and the quality
performances in these recordings, it may appear to be stating the obvious
that the Orchestra specialises in eighteenth century repertoire, but it did
in fact start out as a new music ensemble!
Sound and general technical quality is high. Some background traffic noise
is occasionally just audible, and there are one or two inconspicuous editing
joins, such as at the very start of the third movement of the String Symphony
in G, or between the second and third movements of the Orchestral Symphony
in E flat, which were obviously recorded on different occasions. Incidentally,
the CD does not confirm that this is a DDD recording - but the original Capriccio
cover does.
Though this is a double disc set, there are still only 102 minutes on offer,
which makes it a disappointingly short recording. Fortunately, it is available
at the same price as single discs in the edition, making it something of a
reasonable purchase after all - in fact, CPE Bach's Symphonies being what
they are, this is actually a bargain.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at reviews.gramma.co.uk
The usual grace, variety, depth and excitement.