Pre-Classical Bach

When you see the name "Bach", there are certain expectations as far as content is concerned. This disk however, shows the different but still notable ability of the most successful son Carl Philip Emanuel. It is a disk of solo piano pieces, Sonatas and Rondos, played by Mikhail Pletnev. Pletnev has developed a tendency in recent years to be wilfully idiosyncratic in his interpretations, almost as if courting controversy for the sake of it with extreme tempos and other distortions of the composer's original score. There are hints of the start of this tendency once or twice on this disk, which dates from 2001, but in the main it is a superb recital with taste and clarity. CPE has clearly moved on from the baroque of his father and into what might be termed pre-classicism. He was also a much better businessman than his father and wrote these pieces with connoisseurs and enthusiastic amateurs in mind who would purchase the sheet music. The quality of the music speaks volumes for the abilities of private individuals back in those days. The booklet notes print a quote attributed to CPE, "As I see it, music should move the heart emotionally and a player will never achieve this by mere scrambling, hammering and arpeggiation, not with me anyway". The music and playing on this disk certainly succedds in moving the heart.