Bachiana: Music By the Bach Family - Double Concertos
Bachiana is a sterling collection of concertos by Bach's sons. The most substantial work on this well-filled disc is C.P.E. Bach's Concerto for Harpsichord and Fortepiano from 1788, the year of his death. The two instruments are treated as equals, and the orchestra plays a significant role as well. The first movement offers a unique combination of drama (especially in the forceful orchestral interjections) and piquant wit, also characteristic of the Presto finale. Those movements sandwich a grave Larghetto of austere beauty. It's a deeply personal, perhaps valedictory, work. The other selections have plenty of appeal, too. J.C. Bach's Sinfonia Concertante is a charming work of deceptive lightness. W.F.E. Bach's Flute Concerto opens with a first movement featuring complex textures and moves on to a gently lovely Largo and a delightful Vivace finale. The least known of these four Bachs, J.C.F., contributes a fascinating Concerto for Fortepiano and Viola, notable for fetching interplay between the instruments and the integrated orchestral role.--Dan Davis