As we slowly work our way through the opus of Emanuel Bach (1714 - 1788), we are constantly reminded that this composer of over a 1,000 works, never stopped revising and rearranging his works. It was something he had seen his illustrious father do time and again, and it was certainly common practice in Emanuel's day. Busy schedules and long lists of responsibilities made it necessary.
Turning to Bach's concertos for flute, cello and oboe, we realize that we've already heard many of them in the keyboard versions. Moreover, the three cello concertos each exist as flute concertos as well. To compare the versions, to try to determine which was the original, to make decisions on performance practice and ornamentation, let alone cadenzas, is the stuff of intense scholarship. Much of it can be found at CPEBach.org, an invaluable website.
Frederick the Great, Emanuel's patron, was a flutist, and Emanuel obliged with the composition of numerous flute sonatas, and a half dozen flute concertos.
We start with Flute Concerto in D major (1744), H. 416/Wq. 13. This concerto probably started out in the flute version, and we've already listened to it in the keyboard version here.
Emanuel Bach wrote three cello concertos in Berlin in the early 1750s at a time when the cello was not considered a solo instrument. It's major role was still in the basso continuo and the ripieno. All three concertos exist in flute and keyboard versions, but because they are highly idiomatic for the cello, they were probably written for that instrument first, at least the first two. The third only survives in two later manuscripts which inevitably contain later revisions. Written in the span of only a few years, they were probably composed for one particular cellist, and Robert Nosow at CPEBach.org does a very thorough analysis of who this cellist could have been. (1)
Let's take a listen to the cello and flute versions of these beautiful works. The keyboard versions (Wq. 26, 28, and 29) can be found here. Listen to a version for organ of the third concerto here.
Cello and Flute Concertos in A minor (1750), H. 432/Wq. 170 and H. 431/Wq. 166 respectively.
Cello and Flute Concertos in B-flat major (1751), H. 436/Wq. 171 and H. 435/Wq. 167.
Cello and Flute Concertos in A major (1753), H. 439/Wq. 172 and H. 438/Wq. 168 (first movement only, listen to the second and third movements here and here). The second movement Largo con Sordini, starting at 9:30 is utterly beautiful. As one commenter puts it a comment to the first video:
Flute Concerto in G Major (1755), H. 445/Wq. 169, is a particularly handsome concerto. It was arranged from an organ version (H. 444/Wq. 34), and we hear the second movement first in this version. James Reel in his review for Rovi/AllMusic calls it 'one of C.P.E. Bach's most unpredictable and exciting flute concertos.'(2)
The two Oboe Concertos (in B-flat major and E-flat major, 1765), H. 466/Wq. 164 and H. 468/Wq. 165, were substantially revised in 1765 for keyboard as H. 465/Wq. 39 and H. 467/Wq. 40. Emanuel rarely wrote for this instrument--there is one other work, an early sonata--, and since these two concertos were written in the same year, they must have been composed for a specific player as was also the case with the three cello concertos. Janet K. Page tells us in her introduction to these works who the likely candidates are and that the solo passages are well suited for the instrument and use all its 'possibilities for contrast.'(3)
Many works in the Helm catalog, starting with H. 480, are doubtful or spurious. Some of them are now attributed to J.S. Bach or Johann Christian Bach. The Flute Concerto in D minor, H. 484/1/Wq. 22 (1747), is a doubtful arrangement of Emanuel's Keyboard Concerto of the same year, H. 425/Wq. 22) according to Bach's listof works at IMSLP. However, according to Peter Wollny, a pre-eminent C.P.E. Bach scholar, the flute version came first and was by Emanuel Bach. (4)(5)
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(1) Robert Nosow, "Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, The Complete Works: III/6: Violoncello Concertos." Introduction, CPEBach.org website, 2008. (http://www.cpebach.org/toc/toc-III-6.html (07/22/2014)) According to Robert Nosow the alternate versions follow the principle of Melodic Elaboration or Auszierung with o.a. increased intervallic motion and rhythmic activity.
(2) James Reel, "Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Concerto for flute, strings & continuo in G major, H. 445, Wq. 169." Description, AllMusic.com, attributed to James Reel at answers.com. (http://www.allmusic.com/composition/concerto-for-flute-strings-continuo-in-g-major-h-445-wq-169-mc0002393718 (07/23/2014))
(3) Janet K. Page, "Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, The Complete Edition: III/5: Oboe Concertos." Introduction, CPEBach.org. (http://www.cpebach.org/toc/toc-III-5.html (07/22/2014))
(4)"List of works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach." IMSLP website page. (http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel_Bach,_by_Wotquenne_Numbers (07/22/2014))
(5) Peter Wollny as quoted by scrymgeour34 in "C.P.E. Bach / Flute Concerto in D minor, Wq. 22 (H. 425)." Notes to YouTube video, 02/28/2013)) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC0spncowFU (07/22/2014))
Turning to Bach's concertos for flute, cello and oboe, we realize that we've already heard many of them in the keyboard versions. Moreover, the three cello concertos each exist as flute concertos as well. To compare the versions, to try to determine which was the original, to make decisions on performance practice and ornamentation, let alone cadenzas, is the stuff of intense scholarship. Much of it can be found at CPEBach.org, an invaluable website.
Frederick the Great, Emanuel's patron, was a flutist, and Emanuel obliged with the composition of numerous flute sonatas, and a half dozen flute concertos.
We start with Flute Concerto in D major (1744), H. 416/Wq. 13. This concerto probably started out in the flute version, and we've already listened to it in the keyboard version here.
Emanuel Bach wrote three cello concertos in Berlin in the early 1750s at a time when the cello was not considered a solo instrument. It's major role was still in the basso continuo and the ripieno. All three concertos exist in flute and keyboard versions, but because they are highly idiomatic for the cello, they were probably written for that instrument first, at least the first two. The third only survives in two later manuscripts which inevitably contain later revisions. Written in the span of only a few years, they were probably composed for one particular cellist, and Robert Nosow at CPEBach.org does a very thorough analysis of who this cellist could have been. (1)
Let's take a listen to the cello and flute versions of these beautiful works. The keyboard versions (Wq. 26, 28, and 29) can be found here. Listen to a version for organ of the third concerto here.
Cello and Flute Concertos in A minor (1750), H. 432/Wq. 170 and H. 431/Wq. 166 respectively.
Cello and Flute Concertos in B-flat major (1751), H. 436/Wq. 171 and H. 435/Wq. 167.
Cello and Flute Concertos in A major (1753), H. 439/Wq. 172 and H. 438/Wq. 168 (first movement only, listen to the second and third movements here and here). The second movement Largo con Sordini, starting at 9:30 is utterly beautiful. As one commenter puts it a comment to the first video:
The second movement is to die for with sobbings and haunted regrets collapsing down on the soul, quelle malheur grande... (what great woe)
Flute Concerto in G Major (1755), H. 445/Wq. 169, is a particularly handsome concerto. It was arranged from an organ version (H. 444/Wq. 34), and we hear the second movement first in this version. James Reel in his review for Rovi/AllMusic calls it 'one of C.P.E. Bach's most unpredictable and exciting flute concertos.'(2)
The two Oboe Concertos (in B-flat major and E-flat major, 1765), H. 466/Wq. 164 and H. 468/Wq. 165, were substantially revised in 1765 for keyboard as H. 465/Wq. 39 and H. 467/Wq. 40. Emanuel rarely wrote for this instrument--there is one other work, an early sonata--, and since these two concertos were written in the same year, they must have been composed for a specific player as was also the case with the three cello concertos. Janet K. Page tells us in her introduction to these works who the likely candidates are and that the solo passages are well suited for the instrument and use all its 'possibilities for contrast.'(3)
Many works in the Helm catalog, starting with H. 480, are doubtful or spurious. Some of them are now attributed to J.S. Bach or Johann Christian Bach. The Flute Concerto in D minor, H. 484/1/Wq. 22 (1747), is a doubtful arrangement of Emanuel's Keyboard Concerto of the same year, H. 425/Wq. 22) according to Bach's listof works at IMSLP. However, according to Peter Wollny, a pre-eminent C.P.E. Bach scholar, the flute version came first and was by Emanuel Bach. (4)(5)
______________________________________________________________________
(1) Robert Nosow, "Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, The Complete Works: III/6: Violoncello Concertos." Introduction, CPEBach.org website, 2008. (http://www.cpebach.org/toc/toc-III-6.html (07/22/2014)) According to Robert Nosow the alternate versions follow the principle of Melodic Elaboration or Auszierung with o.a. increased intervallic motion and rhythmic activity.
(2) James Reel, "Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Concerto for flute, strings & continuo in G major, H. 445, Wq. 169." Description, AllMusic.com, attributed to James Reel at answers.com. (http://www.allmusic.com/composition/concerto-for-flute-strings-continuo-in-g-major-h-445-wq-169-mc0002393718 (07/23/2014))
(3) Janet K. Page, "Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, The Complete Edition: III/5: Oboe Concertos." Introduction, CPEBach.org. (http://www.cpebach.org/toc/toc-III-5.html (07/22/2014))
(4)"List of works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach." IMSLP website page. (http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel_Bach,_by_Wotquenne_Numbers (07/22/2014))
(5) Peter Wollny as quoted by scrymgeour34 in "C.P.E. Bach / Flute Concerto in D minor, Wq. 22 (H. 425)." Notes to YouTube video, 02/28/2013)) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC0spncowFU (07/22/2014))