Christopher Hogwood on Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, son of J.S. Bach

Ahead of his concert of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach music, Christopher Hogwood, one of the most reputed representatives of historically correct performances, gives us his thoughts about this son the great John Sebastian Bach.
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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, considered in his generation as the most successful composer of the Bach family, spent most of his life in Berlin at the court of Frederic the Great. His fame already during his life resided mainly in that he was considered a great teacher, author of the famous book „Versuch über die wahre Art Clavier zu spielen“ („Essay on the True Way to play the Piano“). Beyond that he was famed to be an outstanding improviser, surpassing all rivals. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was especially esteemed by great composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert who all confessed to have learned from him. Yet he never founded any school. His way of composing is singular, intelectual, often somewhat hard edged, always stern, even when he was being witty. It‘s music for intelligent listeners and outstanding musicians because, very much like Beethoven, he never had any regards for the instrument he was writing for.