This programme presents a portrait, on the tercentenary of the composer's birth, of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), who was probably the most gifted of the sons of the famous Johann Sebastian Bach. Highly admired in his own century by Haydn, Gluck and Mozart, he stands out today as a brilliant and highly original composer.
'A musician cannot move others unless he is himself moved: it is essential for him to experience all the moods he wishes to arouse in his listeners. [...] In languid, sad places, he will become languid and sad; this must be both audible and visible.'
For Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, music had to be an expression of personal feelings. To achieve his aim, he did not hesitate to revolutionise the established principles of form, harmony and rhythm. His compositions are very personal and very free, with sudden changes of key, uneven phrase lengths and strong and unexpected contrasts, so that his music constantly holds the listener's attention.
The Trio Sonata 'Sanguineus und Melancholicus' is a rarity in the composer's output in that it is a quasi-programmatic work. It presents a conversation between two persons, the one sanguine (first violin) and the other melancholic (second violin). The same duality is found throughout the recordings presented here, from the well-known Sinfonia no. 5 to the two brilliant cello concertos.
With this revolutionary music, we find ourselves a whirl of emotions! Under the bow of cellist Ophélie Gaillard, at the head of the virtuosic Pulcinella Orchestra, these pieces come as a revelation!
1-3 Cello Concerto in A minor, Wq. 170 (H. 432)
4-6 Sinfonia no. 5 in B minor, Wq. 182 (H. 661)
7-9 Cello Concerto in A major, Wq. 172 (H. 439)
10-12 Trio Sonata in C minor for two violins and continuo, Wq. 161 (H. 579)
« Sanguineus & Melancholicus »
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Director: Colin Laurent
