Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Cello Concerto, Sinfonia in E & G (reference record.: Café Zimmermann)

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) Cello Concerto & Sinfonia
Cello Concerto in A Major WQ172 (1753)
00:00 I. Allegro
06:47 II. Largo
16:22 III. Allegro Assai
Sinfonia in E Major WQ182/6 (1773)
21:54 I. Allegro di molto
24:13 II. Poco andante
27:20 III. Allegro spirituoso
Sinfonia in G Major WQ182/1 (1173)
30:32 I. Allegro di molto
34:08 II. Poco adagio
37:44 III. Presto

Café Zimmermann
Cello: Petr Skalka
Conductor: Pablo Valetti
Recorded in 2005, at Aisne (France)
New mastering in 2025 by AB for CMRR
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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach composed three keyboard concertos in Leipzig and Frankfurt an der Oder (1733–1737), thirty-eight in Berlin or Potsdam (1738–1765), and finally eleven in Hamburg (1769–1788). Some of these works have come down to us in multiple versions—in other words, they were revised one or more times. One concerto (1740) is for two harpsichords, two (1755 and 1759) are for harpsichord or organ, and the very last one (1788) is for harpsichord and fortepiano. Another concerto (1747) exists in a version for flute, apparently arranged by František Benda (1709–1786).

At least six harpsichord concertos were transcribed for other solo instruments by the composer himself: three for both flute and cello, two for oboe, and one for flute. These transformations involved changes not only to the solo parts—which were more ornamented in the keyboard version than in those for flute, cello, or oboe—but also to the orchestral parts. It appears that for the two works involving oboe, this version preceded the keyboard one, whereas in the case of the concerto for flute or keyboard, the reverse was true. For the three concertos with three different versions, the question remains open.

The large Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings in A major H.437 (Wq.29) dates from 1753, which likely also applies to the versions for flute H.438 (Wq.168) and for cello H.439 (Wq.172). Two major-key, rhythmically vivid movements marked Allegro frame a Largo mesto (“sad”) in A minor. The work was probably intended for the cellist Christian Friedrich Schale (1713–1800), who held a weekly Musikalische Assemblée at his Berlin residence.

The Symphony in E major H.662 (Wq.182/6) begins with an Allegro molto that is more melodic and serene than the other five first movements, and quite close to the classical sonata form—or rather, pre-classical: a binary structure with a tonal but not thematic recapitulation. The return of the theme in the dominant key of B major creates, for once, a clear sense of developmental beginning. This theme will return in the subdominant A major, but never in the tonic. The movement ends on a B (dominant), but instead of the expected E (tonic), we then hear—not a wrong note!—an E-sharp (a tritone leap), the leading tone of F-sharp minor, which is the key of the Poco andante. This slow movement is the only one of the six not to be linked directly to the finale, an Allegro spiritoso in 3/8 that begins in C-sharp minor. E major does not reappear until measure 16 of this movement, which is driven by a sharp dotted rhythm.

The Symphony in G major H.657 (Wq.182/1) opens with an Allegro di molto featuring suspended cadences followed by sudden silences and restarts in unexpected keys. It runs 113 measures, with the initial theme returning in the dominant D major (m. 33), the subdominant C major (m. 59), and twice in the tonic (m. 89 and 107), without producing a sense of classical recapitulation. What we hear instead is a sequence of four paragraphs followed by a brief conclusion that lands on the dominant of E. The pathos-filled Poco adagio in E major ends on the dominant of G. A delightful Presto in 6/8 follows.

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Other Album available // Bach: Brandenburg Concertos BWV 1046-1051 Szymon Goldberg
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Johann Sebastian Bach PLAYLIST (reference recordings): • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and sons.