Three of Johann Sebastian's composer sons are represented in this album. Carl Philipp Emanuel: the highly cultivated intellectual, successful virtuoso and theoretician; Wilhelm Friedemann: the "avant-garde" with delicate "Polonaises" and "Fantasias"; Johann Christian: the steady-going, almost "scholarly" one. Three of Johann Sebastian's composer sons are represented in this album. Each displaying, above an admirable musical background (no wonder as we know their teacher) one genuine personality. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788): the highly cultivated intellectual, successful virtuoso, author of the landmark book: "Versuch uber die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen" (Treatise on piano playing with examples and 18 sample pieces in 6 sonatas). Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–1784): the "avant-garde" one; short, delicate, exquisite "Polonaises" and "Fantasias" composed without bar-lines. Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782): the steady-going one, presenting an almost "scholarly", brilliant but not adventurous approach to his art. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was the summit and the end of a period of music composing. The myriads harmonic and instrumental innovations in his music are actually the results of the current polyphonic Baroque style reaching its climax and, at simultaneously its end. The composer sons of J. S. Bach, on the contrary, are renovators and innovators. They did not follow on their father's tracks, but instead, they have been the precursors of the "new style": the classical style. Joseph Haydn always referred and studied the sonatas of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Obviously, the tutoring of Johann Sebastian Bach did not resulted in making more or less talented clones of himself, but genuinely creative and innovative musicians who wholeheartedly adopted the new instruments (the "piano-forte") and the new musical style which they developed to a point where Haydn and Mozart will naturally grow upon. Three of Johann Sebastian's composer sons are represented in this album. Carl Philipp Emanuel: the highly cultivated intellectual, successful virtuoso and theoretician; Wilhelm Friedemann: the "avant-garde" with delicate "Polonaises" and "Fantasias"; Johann Christian: the steady-going, almost "scholarly" one. Three of Johann Sebastian's composer sons are represented in this album. Each displaying, above an admirable musical background (no wonder as we know their teacher) one genuine personality. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788): the highly cultivated intellectual, successful virtuoso, author of the landmark book: "Versuch uber die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen" (Treatise on piano playing with examples and 18 sample pieces in 6 sonatas). Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–1784): the "avant-garde" one; short, delicate, exquisite "Polonaises" and "Fantasias" composed without bar-lines. Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782): the steady-going one, presenting an almost "scholarly", brilliant but not adventurous approach to his art. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was one and may be the most important composer who realized this shift in his musical style. He fully made possible to create the illusion of a vocal-like "singing" melody on the new keyboard instrument. The basis of the classical sonata form with its two themes, two parts in the first movement were clearly established by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. He composed over a hundred sonatas. Six Harpsichord Sonatas (The Wurttemberg Sonatas), Wq.49 (Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel) Those sonatas, composed in Berlin in 1742 and published there in 1744 under the title "Opera II", are dedicated to the Duc Charles of Wurttemberg. The innovative and creative genius of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach are expressed in those ravishing pages. The new, innovative dramatic effects are amazing: successive fermatas, unexpected silences, changes of tempos, audacious modulations, a vast keyboard range. Sonata in A minor Wq 49/1 (H.30) The first sonata (Wq 49/1) begins with a prelude-like Moderato and expands with a beautiful Andante with a superb string-quatuor like elaboration. The very brilliant Allegro assai concludes the piece with "panache". Sonata in B minor Wq 49/6 (H.36) Again starting with an improvisatory Moderato, the sixth sonata (Wq 49/6) presents an array of incredibly innovative effects. According to his commentators, the composer was playing this kind of music with a very large degree of freedom in the rhythms. The Adagio non molto, again proceeds with a singing-like texture and leads to a very brilliant finale. Even though Johann Christian did also start music with his father, the influence of Johann Sebastian seems less apparent in his works. His elder brother Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788) who took in charge most of his education left a deeper effect on Johann Christian's musical style. However, during his stay at his brother's place in Berlin, the shows of the Berlin Opera where the Italian style was dominant has to stamp on him to a large degree too. He also got a keen interest in the research of the Mannheim orchestra regarding instrumentation and new sound possibilities. This particular orchestra, formed with highly skilled musicians had then an international reputation. The serious counterpoint studies he got with Padre Martini in Milan also contributed for his particular musical style. We have in Johann Christian Bach a very particular mixture of styles and influences which, combined with his evident talent makes for a unique very eclectic style. This particular mixture of Italian and German, severity and frivolity, creates a musical language which always attracts, surprises and seduces. Compared to his orchestral output, 37 concertos for keyboard and orchestra, Johann Christian's solo keyboard works are in lesser quantity. They are mostly composed by various easy pieces published in London, four-hand works but the two collection of solo piano sonatas are the most important: opus 5 and opus 17. The "Six Sonatas for the Harpsichord or the Piano-Forte op.17" was published in London around 1779. Johann Christian Bach employs different forms in those sonatas, some are made of two movements, some are in the traditional three movement structure. The first movements are very "classical" in shape. We have the usual exposition - development and re-expositions scheme, adhering to the tonic - dominant - tonic relationships. However, Karl Geiringer, in his "Bach and his family" (Paris - 1955) points out that Johann Christian gives his best in the slow movements of those sonatas. The closing movements are generally Rondos or very fast tempo finales which display a brilliant virtuosity. By adding to the titles of those works ".. for the Harpsichord or the Pianoforte" the composer presented them to both the conservative circles which preferred the older, well-established Harpsichord and to the "modernists" who have already adopted the Pianoforte as their favorite keyboard instrument. Nevertheless, the musical ecriture of those pieces definitely calls for the piano. 6. Sonata in B-flat major, op.17 W.A 7-12 The most brilliant and difficult one of the series, this sonata displays a rich virtuosity in both hands. The initial Allegro presents two very gracious themes and develops them in a large-range brilliant musical texture definitely conceptualized for the piano instead of the Harpsichord. The beautiful Andante in E-flat major is highly inspired and develops a rare dramatical intensity. The finale could not have been any more shiny and virtuose: it is a Prestissimo which displays all known and some unknown keyboard techniques to its day. Specially interesting are the large range left hand scales who run for more than three octaves below a long trill on the right hand. Probably a "never heard before" effect. Chromatic Fugue on BACH, W.YA 50 [:] Fuge für das Pianoforte oder Orgel über die Buchstaben seines Namens BACH. Leipzig ca. 1810 It is difficult to time-stamp precisely the keyboard works of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. They are probably composed at Leipzig and Dresden and during the last episode of the composer's life. The works consist of Sonatas, ten Fantasies, preludes, many diverse short pieces, eight fugues. The "12 Polonaises" are among the most beautiful and original of those pieces. This is a complex work because even being profoundly attracted towards the "new style", Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was also deeply rooted in the "old style" which is the Polyphonic style of Johann Sebastian Bach, due to his musical education dispensed by his father. Therefore, "old" and "new" elements are constantly present in his works. Unlike Carl Philipp Emanuel who masterfully melted those elements also unlike Johann Christian who clearly turned to the "new", Wilhelm Friedemann Bach remained somehow "in between the styles." This lack of resolution for a clearly defined "genre and style" may be the reason his contemporaries saw in him an "undecided" composer. Today this is precisely what makes the unique charm of this music. Fantasie in E minor, F.21 (Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann) The Fantasies of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach are brilliant and very effective pieces. Actually they are very close to the "Toccata" form and style. high virtuosity sections alternate with fugal or lyrical passages of great beauty. The twelve Polonaises seem to be composed around 1765. They are short pieces, with two or three voices, in a moderate tempo and with a ternary measure. This ternary time signature is actually the only common aspect they have with the traditional "Polonaise". The Polish national dance-form was oftentimes used as a musical composition framework at that epoch but they were generally lively dance-like pieces. Here we have mostly much slower and very lyrical pieces. Those twelve are ordered in an ascending order of keys but some unusual keys, like the C-sharp major or F-Sharp major are omitted. Yet, the unusual key of E-flat minor is present with a superb piece which reminds us the best Sarabandes of Johann Sebastian Bach.