Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, also known as C.P.E. Bach, was a German Baroque and Classical period composer and musician. He was the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach. C.P.E. Bach was an influential composer working at a time of transition between the Baroque style of his father and the Classical style that followed. He was an important figure in his own right, known for his innovative and experimental style. C.P.E. Bach's music offers a unique and historical look into the musical transition between the Baroque and Classical eras.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Full Name | Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach |
Also Known As | Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, C. P. E. Bach |
Birth Date | 8 March 1714 |
Death Date | 14 December 1788 |
Nationality | German |
Occupation | Composer and musician |
Genre | Baroque and Classical |
Era | Classical |
Parent(s) | Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach |
Godparent | Georg Philipp Telemann |
Spouse | Johanna Maria Dannemann |
Children | Johann Adam, Anna Carolina Philippina, Johann Sebastian |
Known For | Keyboard Sonatas, Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments |
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C.P.E. Bach was a German composer
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, commonly known as C. P. E. Bach, was a German composer and musician. He was born on 8 March 1714 in Weimar, Germany, and passed away on 14 December 1788 in Hamburg. C. P. E. Bach was the second surviving son of the renowned composer Johann Sebastian Bach and his first wife, Maria Barbara Bach.
C. P. E. Bach was a pioneering composer whose innovative and emotionally expressive works bridged the Baroque and Classical eras. He successfully integrated his father's Baroque style with the emerging Classical style, becoming the leading composer of the early Classical period. C. P. E. Bach's musical approach is known as the "sensitive style" (Empfindsamer Stil in German), which contrasted the prevailing rococo style of his time.
C. P. E. Bach began his musical career in 1740 when he was appointed harpsichordist to Frederick II of Prussia. He became a member of the royal orchestra upon Frederick's accession. During his time in Berlin, he composed numerous pieces, including sonatas, character pieces, and concert works. He also published his influential "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments", which was studied by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
In 1768, C. P. E. Bach moved to Hamburg, where he succeeded his godfather, Georg Philipp Telemann, as director of music (Kapellmeister). In his new position, he shifted his focus towards ecclesiastical and choral music. He composed ambitious choral works, such as the oratorio "Die Israeliten in der Wuste" (The Israelites in the Desert), and religious music, including a Magnificat and Passions.
C. P. E. Bach's compositions and playing style had a significant influence on notable composers such as Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Mozart famously said of C. P. E. Bach, "He is the father, we are the children."
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He was the son of Johann Sebastian Bach
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, also known as C. P. E. Bach, was the fifth child and second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach and his first wife, Maria Barbara Bach. C. P. E. Bach was born on 8 March 1714 in Weimar, Germany. He was one of four Bach children who became professional musicians, all of whom were trained almost entirely by their father.
C. P. E. Bach pursued advanced studies in jurisprudence at Leipzig University and Frankfurt an der Oder, obtaining his degree at the age of 24. However, he never practised law, instead turning his attention to music. A few months after graduating, he obtained an appointment in Berlin in the service of Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, who later became King Frederick the Great. Upon the king's accession in 1740, C. P. E. Bach became a member of the royal orchestra.
C. P. E. Bach was an influential composer, working at a time of transition between the Baroque style of his father and the Classical style that followed. He was a representative of the sensitive style, which was in deliberate contrast to the rococo style of his time. His compositions include about thirty sonatas and pieces for harpsichord and clavichord.
C. P. E. Bach married Johanna Maria Dannemann in 1744, and the couple had three children: Johann Adam, Anna Carolina Philippina, and Johann Sebastian. None of his children became musicians. In 1768, he succeeded his godfather, Georg Philipp Telemann, as director of music at Hamburg. In his new position, he turned his attention to ecclesiastical and choral music.
C. P. E. Bach was an influential pedagogue, writing the "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments", which was studied by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, among others. He was also a prolific writer of keyboard sonatas, publishing more collections of keyboard music than anything else during his lifetime.
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C.P.E. Bach was a Baroque and Classical period composer
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, commonly abbreviated as C.P.E. Bach, was a German Baroque and Classical period composer and musician. He was the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach. C.P.E. Bach was an influential composer working at a time of transition between his father's Baroque style and the Classical style that followed it.
C.P.E. Bach was born on 8 March 1714 in Weimar, Germany. He was one of four Bach children to become professional musicians, all of whom were trained in music almost entirely by their father. C.P.E. Bach studied law, obtaining a degree in 1735, but he never practised law, instead turning his attention to music.
In 1740, C.P.E. Bach was appointed harpsichordist to Frederick II of Prussia. Upon Frederick's accession, he became a member of the royal orchestra. During his time in Berlin, C.P.E. Bach continued to write numerous pieces for solo keyboard, including a series of character pieces, the so-called "Berlin Portraits", including "La Caroline". He was also known for his organ sonatas, which mainly come from the galant style.
In 1768, C.P.E. Bach succeeded Georg Philipp Telemann, a friend of his father, as director of music at Hamburg. In his new position, he began to turn more of his energy to ecclesiastical and choral music. He wrote a number of religious works, including a Magnificat, 22 Passions, and seventy cantatas. He also composed symphonies, concerti, organ sonatas, chamber music, and songs.
C.P.E. Bach's compositions were influential and are considered to have laid the foundation for the Classical sonata-allegro form. His work influenced Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven, among others. C.P.E. Bach's keyboard sonatas, in particular, have been described as "mark [ing] an important epoch in the history of musical form".
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He was an influential composer
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, commonly abbreviated as C. P. E. Bach, was an influential composer and musician. He was the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach, and was born on 8 March 1714 in Weimar, Germany. C. P. E. Bach was an influential composer working at a time of transition between his father's Baroque style and the Classical style that followed it. He was the principal representative of the 'sensitive style' (empfindsamer Stil in German). The qualities of his keyboard music are forerunners of the expressiveness of Romantic music, in deliberate contrast to the statuesque forms of Baroque music.
C. P. E. Bach's first job was with Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia. Upon Frederick's accession, C. P. E. Bach became a member of the royal orchestra. He was by this time one of the foremost clavier players in Europe, and his compositions, which date from 1731, include about thirty sonatas and concert pieces for harpsichord and clavichord. During his time in Berlin, he mixed with many accomplished musicians, including several notable former students of his father, and important literary figures, such as Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, with whom the composer became close friends.
In 1746, C. P. E. Bach was promoted to the post of chamber musician (Kammermusikus) and served the king alongside colleagues like Carl Heinrich Graun, Johann Joachim Quantz, and Franz Benda. The composer who most influenced C. P. E. Bach's maturing style was unquestionably his father. He drew creative inspiration from his godfather Georg Philipp Telemann, then working in Hamburg, and from contemporaries like George Frideric Handel, Carl Heinrich Graun, Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart later. C. P. E. Bach's interest in all types of art led to influence from poets, playwrights and philosophers such as Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, Moses Mendelssohn and Lessing.
C. P. E. Bach's work itself influenced the work of, among others, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Felix Mendelssohn. C. P. E. Bach was also an influential pedagogue, writing the influential "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments", which would be studied by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, among others. Mozart said of C. P. E. Bach: "He is the father, we are the children."
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He wrote the Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, commonly abbreviated as C. P. E. Bach, was a German composer and musician during the Classical period. He was the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach. C. P. E. Bach was an influential composer, bridging the Baroque and Classical eras.
C. P. E. Bach wrote the "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments", which was published in 1753 and revised in 1787. The essay is a comprehensive guide to keyboard technique and performance practice in the 18th century. It covers various topics, including fingering, performance suggestions, embellishments, ornaments, and fingering. The essay also includes chapters on figured bass, counterpoint, and improvisation.
The "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments" has been recognised as a definitive work on keyboard technique and has been studied by famous composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Haydn referred to it as "the school of schools", and Beethoven recommended it to his student, Karl Czerny. The essay provides valuable insights into the style and interpretation of 18th-century music and has had a lasting influence on the art of playing keyboard instruments.
C. P. E. Bach's work on keyboard technique is notable for its focus on the use of the thumbs when playing. This technique, which he allowed and encouraged, has become the standard approach in keyboard performance.
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Frequently asked questions
No, C.P.E. Bach was German.
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
C.P.E. Bach was the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach.