Search - Szuts :: CPE Bach: Keyboard Concertos Vol.2

Eloquent Nonverbal Shakespeare

goosefish | Durham, NC USA | 01/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been listening to all the CDs in this series, so this review applies to the set generally--



It's a real privilege to be let into the rarefied world of these concerti. Some of them are at once addictive, yet hard to remember. So polyphonic and contrapuntal, so structured yet unpredictable... I'm astounded that so many years have passed since these CDs were released, and leading radio stations have yet to play them! I've been a devoted classical listener for decades, but these works by C.P.E. Bach are full of surprises. They're full of originality.



Volume 2 is the one I picked for this review because it holds a new favorite of mine: Wq 12, specifically the third movement. Wow. I suppose it works in the manner of fine literature, pleasing the mind with evocative scenarios -- only instead of words, it uses a kind of auditory body language. Navigating a convoluted landscape of worldly troubles, the concerto rises to sublime, carefree heights. We take in the scenic vistas and thank providence for preserving these masterpieces by Johann Sebastian's great son."