Search - Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Stephan Mai, Ralphael Alpermann :: W. F. Bach: Symphonies, Harpischord Concerto

J.S. Bach's favorite son--apparently a drunk and a difficult man--wrote handsome music of great rhythmic and harmonic variety, which this CD highlights. The harpsichord concerto is very rich, with the soloist and orchestra bickering back and forth nicely. The two Sinfonias differ in temperament: the D major is formal and elegant; the F major is more jumpy and entertaining. Similarly, the two adagios and fugues recorded here differ greatly. The one in F minor dazzles us by its close, while the D minor is severe but equally interesting. W.F. Bach sounds little like either his father or his better-known brother, C.P.E. Bach. He's quirkier and not at all predictable. The disc is full of surprises. --Robert Levine