CPE Bach: EMS 9 March

[doversoul1]

Piers Adams celebrates the 300th anniversary of the birth of CPE Bach with tracks from new CDs released to mark the occasion. There are also interviews with musicians in Leipzig, Hamburg and other cities around Bach's native Germany who reveal how they will be celebrating the year. […]
This is the first of three Early Music Show tributes to CPE Bach during this anniversary year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03x17kx

A short but interesting talk on CPE on Music Matters
Petroc Trelawny assesses the legacy of this revolutionary composer with the conductor Rebecca Miller and the harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03x160q

[doversoul1]

Get well soon, Christopher Hogwood. I hope you’ll be able to join the next two CPE Bach special EMS.

Piers Adams presented the programme well, the interviews were interesting, and the music was wonderful. Despite all this, it wasn’t quite Early Music Show… There is something about the way in which Lucie presents (and Catherine Bott did) that makes the programme more than just a programme about early music.

Still I enjoyed the music and look forward to the two CPE Bach EMSs to come.

[Despina dello Stagno]

Get well soon, Christopher Hogwood.

Fond memories. When upgrading from vinyl, this was the second CD I ever bought http://www.amazon.co.uk/6-Symphonies...ywords=hogwood (regrettably from the wrong motives. At that time I was a great fan of Frederick the Great's flute works, and was expecting more of the same from a solo album from his grumpy keyboard accompanist. How wrong I was!).

[ardcarp]

Despite all this, it wasn’t quite Early Music Show… There is something about the way in which Lucie presents (and Catherine Bott did) that makes the programme more than just a programme about early music.

Looks as if we might be back to 'normal' next week.

edit (According to the website, that is; and it's a repeat.)

[MickyD]

Get well soon, Christopher Hogwood. I hope you’ll be able to join the next two CPE Bach special EMS.

Piers Adams presented the programme well, the interviews were interesting, and the music was wonderful. Despite all this, it wasn’t quite Early Music Show… There is something about the way in which Lucie presents (and Catherine Bott did) that makes the programme more than just a programme about early music.

Still I enjoyed the music and look forward to the two CPE Bach EMSs to come.

I have had internet problems for two days...please enlighten me as to what ails Christopher Hogwood? Is he seriously ill?

[MickyD]

Fond memories. When upgrading from vinyl, this was the second CD I ever bought http://www.amazon.co.uk/6-Symphonies...ywords=hogwood (regrettably from the wrong motives. At that time I was a great fan of Frederick the Great's flute works, and was expecting more of the same from a solo album from his grumpy keyboard accompanist. How wrong I was!).

I am old enough to remember when this set first came out in a gatefold LP album..with a lovely pastoral Gainsborough picture on the cover. It was the very first time I had heard CPE Bach and I found the music and performances truly electrifying!

[doversoul1]

I have had internet problems for two days...please enlighten me as to what ails Christopher Hogwood? Is he seriously ill?

This programme was originally published as presented by Christopher Hogwood and Piers Adams. At the beginning of the programme, Piers Adams said that Christopher Hogwood was not well and could not be in the studio. That’s all I/we know at the moment. I hope he was just under the weather.

[MickyD]

This programme was originally published as presented by Christopher Hogwood and Piers Adams. At the beginning of the programme, Piers Adams said that Christopher Hogwood was not well and could not be in the studio. That’s all I/we know at the moment. I hope he was just under the weather.

I hope so, too, DS....thanks for the information. I have been a huge Hogwood fan since the early 70s!

[ardcarp]

I wonder if any EMS fans are ever bothered by where the boundary lies between Early Music and Not Early Music? And do the goal posts shift as time passes? Will Harrison Birtwistle be Early Music one day?

My wonderings were prompted by CPE Bach's Magnificat which opened this week's EMS. The choral and (especially) the string writing were incredibly Haydn-esque...or maybe one should say Haydn was CPE Bach-esque. Whatever, does the Classical Period count as Early? Is Beethoven's 1st symphony Early? Am I dancing on the head of a pin? Is anyone bothered?

[Despina dello Stagno]

I wonder if any EMS fans are ever bothered by where the boundary lies between Early Music and Not Early Music? And do the goal posts shift as time passes?

'It's a stupid name enough!' Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently. 'What does it mean?'
'Must a name mean something?' Alice asked doubtfully.
'Of course it must,' Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh.

One could equally well ask where "Ancient Musick" ends.

I think Thurston Dart said that the only instrument that had not changed its timbre since Beethoven was the triangle. And he had overlooked the changes in steel forging. Revision is possible on anything and everything. A HIPP replacement works wonders.

I remember buying the Hanover Band cycle of the Beethoven symphonies back in the late '80s. That was pushing the boundaries then, but is now, I suspect, old hat.

[Bryn]

Not directly about the programme, but those wondering what is in the Brilliant Classics CPE Bach Edition, and who the performers are, might care to look here. It's the only site with a descent listing that I have so far been able to find. I am not rushing to order. My guess is that the price will drop like a stone in a year or so. I have plenty to get on with, for the moment, in the recent DMH, Archiv and Warner boxes.

[MickyD]

In my opinion, the best box of all those given by Bryn is that from Warner...a wonderful collection of the most important works with great artists in some really fine vintage HIP recordings.

[Bryn]

The Archive box has some fine performances, but short measure. The average disc duration is under 54 minutes, with one being less that 39 minutes. The DHM box, though using original sleeve design presentation, has much better filled discs in general, and is the only one of the three boxes to offer the delightful Wq 47 Concerto for Harpsichord, Fortepiano and Orchestra.

[MickyD]

I hadn't noticed that the Warner box was missing that harpsichord/fortepiano concerto, Bryn - it is crazy omission and I can't understand why Warner would not have included it, as Koopman did it originally along with the rest of the concertos.

But can you give me a link to the Archiv box, I haven't seen that one yet....

[Bryn]

... But can you give me a link to the Archiv box, I haven't seen that one yet....

Here's a link to the listing. The best prices I can find at the moment (just under the £15 import duty avoidance limit) are at the amazon.co.uk marketplace.