Happy ( Belated) Birthday Johann Christian Bach

[Tony Halstead]

Born 5th September 1735, died 1st January 1782.

Signing himself as 'John Bach' in the last 20 years of his life when he was living in London, he was a dear friend of, and mentor to the young W.A.Mozart.
His huge output includes ( spookily) 27, yes, twenty-seven keyboard concertos ( did Mozart ever know that?) as well as at least 30 symphonies, 6 woodwind concertos, a violin concerto ( definitely authenticated, unlike the spurious cello concerto which is actually by the 20thC composer Casadesus), many Operas, and most notably, approximately 20 'Symphonies Concertantes' or 'Concerted Symphonies' featuring diverse soloists (e.g. 2 violins and cello; flute, oboe and bassoon; oboe, violin, cello and piano; oboe, violin, viola and cello; 2 clarinets and bassoon etc).
There can be no doubt that in the past 200+ years his 'star has waned' but perhaps he is now due for a re-appraisal?
I wondered recently whether J.C. Bach was maybe better appreciated in the 19th-20th centuries and I looked at the Proms Archive to see how many of his works had been played in the 117 years of the Proms.
ONLY ONE J.C. Bach work has ever been played at the Proms, and that was a 10-minute Overture/ Symphony as long ago as 1950.

[rauschwerk]

I don't understand the neglect of Christian Bach's music. He wrote some excellent chamber music for various (sometimes unusual) groupings. A favourite of mine, ever since I heard it on a Supraphon LP many years ago, is the quintet Op 22/1 for flute, oboe, violin, cello and keyboard obbligato. Pinnock and members of the English Concert have recorded this and other pieces.

[french frank]

I've just got his dad's Goldbergs on at the moment. I must beam my good wishes through and ask him to pass them on to his boy ...
My recent purchase, though, includes JC's Symphonies opp 6/2 and 6/6 and the concerto op 13/4. Very enjoyable works.

[vinteuil]

Yes - happy birthday!

I have had many hours of pleasure from Anthony Halstead and the Hanover Band's sterling contribution - their recordings of all the symphonies, symphonies concertantes, keyboard concertos, woodwind concertos, ouvertures etc...

[Tony Halstead]

In about 1994-1995 I wrote to the' person in charge of' the Proms', Mr Kenyon, proposing a programme for a 1 hour 'late-night' Prom that would include two of the J.C.Bach Opus 18 'Double Orchestra' Symphonies ( ideal 'stereo' for the RAH with its vast spaces) separated by e.g. a Mozart concerto such as the Flute/Harp or the Clarinet concerto.
He very courteously replied to me in an enthusiastic vein, saying that he was definitely planning to include J.C.Bach in the Proms.

Hmmm... err... it didn't ever happen..!

[amateur51]

In about 1994-1995 I wrote to the' person in charge of' the Proms', Mr Kenyon, proposing a programme for a 1 hour 'late-night' Prom that would include two of the J.C.Bach Opus 18 'Double Orchestra' Symphonies ( ideal 'stereo' for the RAH with its vast spaces) separated by e.g. a Mozart concerto such as the Flute/Harp or the Clarinet concerto.
He very courteously replied to me in an enthusiastic vein, saying that he was definitely planning to include J.C.Bach in the Proms.

Hmmm... err... it didn't ever happen..!

Now that he's i/c Barbican Centre, London why don't you drop him a reminder, waldhorn - enclosing copies of your original letter & his reply, naturally. I'm sure he'd be only too pleased to remedy this oversight

[Pianorak]

Happy Birthday, dear John Bach.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_Christian_Bach_by_Thomas_Gainsborough.jpg

[Pabmusic]

J. C. Bach's sinfonias are excellent pieces for use at amateur level; I've used several of them.

JCB was JSB's youngest, and called himself Giovanni Bach during the years he lived in Milan, immediately before the 25 years he spent in London. For most of the time in London, he shared rooms with the composer Carl Friedrich Abel, and the pair inaugurated subscription concerts every Wednesday at Carlisle House, Soho Square, and later at ‘Mr Almack’s Great Room’ in King St. The concerts continued for twenty years and helped finance a new concert hall, the Hanover Square Rooms, with pictures commissioned from Bach’s friend Thomas Gainsborough. ‘The English Bach’ is buried in Old St Pancras Cemetery.

So JCB was influential in establishing concert life in London, as well as encouraging 'public' music, rather than the usual patronage-based continental models.