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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Born: 8th March 1714, Weimar

Died: 14th December 1788, Hamburg

Nationality: German

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German composer and musician of the Baroque and Classical eras. He was the fifth child and second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach.

Bach was an influential composer working at a time of transition between his father's Baroque style and the Classical style that followed it. He was the principal representative of the empfindsamer Stil or 'sensitive style'. The qualities of his keyboard music are forerunners of the expressiveness of Romantic music, in deliberate contrast to the statuesque forms of Baroque music.

Further Reading: Bach, C P E

  • Bart Van Reyn on CPE Bach's Die Auferstehung

    14th Jun 2022by Katherine Cooper

    The Belgian conductor discusses his new recording of Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, a passion-oratorio on Christ's Resurrection and Ascension which was conducted by Mozart in the presence of Beethoven and Haydn (and influenced the latter's The Creation).

  • Marc-André Hamelin on CPE Bach

    17th Jan 2022by Katherine Cooper

    The Canadian pianist talks to Katherine about delving into a 'fascinating trove of treasures' for his latest recording on Hyperion - and how CPE Bach turned out to be the first composer whose music he performed in public...

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