Search - Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, François Chaplin :: C.P.E. Bach: Keyboard Sonatas

MORE CPE TREASURES UNEARTHED!

Melvyn M. Sobel | Freeport (Long Island), New York | 01/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CPE Bach (1714-1788) and Haydn (1732-1809) were contemporaries, as is so obvious from this enchanting disc, and, if I didn't know better, I would think that these keyboard sonatas were the work of the latter, rather than the former. The compositional "nod," though, goes easily to CPE, because by the time Haydn was writing his "late" sonatas, CPE had passed on to the great firmament. Since I love Haydn's piano sonatas--- can't get enough of them to suit me--- Naxos has done me a big favor by releasing these rare CPE Bach works. And what lovely works they are! Immediately appealing, fanciful, expressive--- almost romantic--- and inventive. There's not a dull note to be found. Francois Chaplin plays CPE with rare mood, variety and nuance. Just the right touch; just the right feel. It makes for fascinating listening and comparison. The sound is slightly ambient, yet intimately suited to the music.



[Running time: 63:02]



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Enchanting, playful &, yes, "almost romantic."

Classicalfan | Reston, VA USA | 11/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As odd as it may sound to call this CD of small musical gems "almost romantic," I have to agree with Melvyn Sobel's use of these words to describe this music composed between 1748 and 1786. These pieces are played with exquisite precision and, at the same time, with a mood of playfulness and elegance. At times, in some of the slower pieces, such as Track 8, the Andante con tenerezza of the Sonata in A major, Wq. 70/1, there is a meditative, melancholy quality and a haunting beauty that reminded me, however faintly, of Chopin or some of the slower pieces in Tchaikovsky's "The Seasons." On the whole, however, these are not melancholy pieces, but rather light and whimsical in their mood, which is not to say that they are superficial. They are composed in the "style galant" of the era that is considered as transitional in style between the Baroque and Classical. Actually, given that most of these pieces were composed when Haydn was also composing his works, one might simply call them Classical. The CD insert has a well-written and very informative essay on the career and music of C.P.E. Bach, including one to two paragraphs of commentary on each of the sonatas and the rondo. As written in the essay, [C.P.E. Bach] won the admiration of the greatest composers, of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The influence on Haydn, in particular, is attested by that composer's early biographers and is, in any case, apparent form his own keyboard sonatas." Whatever label musical historians choose to assign to C.P.E. Bach's six sonatas and one rondo on this CD, they are beautifully and warmly played by Francois Chaplin; the sound quality of the piano is absolutely clear. This CD is a very nice addition to the collection of anyone with an interest in 18th century classical music and is warmly recommended."

One of the best Naxos CDs

tintintoo | Chicago | 03/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just wonderful! I had not heard of this pianist before purchasing this disc. The playing is fresh yet faithful to the spirit of CPE Bach--Chaplin plays with just the right touch. I can listen to this disc repeatedly without getting tired of it. Chaplin made me want to listen to more CPE Bach. Naxos discs can be uneven--not all are top-notch but this one certainly is. A great bargain."