Bach Family and Friends

Bach Family & Friends

I went to the concert you recommended and thoroughly enjoyed the performance, haven’t been a great fan of harpsichord but absolutely loved it, even bought their CD.

For the last few years Shaun and I have been exploring music for harpsichord and viola da gamba, much of it from the hands of members of the Bach family – Johann Sebastian, Carl Philip Emanuel and John Christian. Thrown into the mix is the significant contribution made by master gambist, and friend of the Bach family Carl Friedrich Abel.

Sebastian’s three sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord are well-known. Polyphonic in construction, they were probably make-overs from other compositions, Bach’s intention being to allow the harpsichord an independent part within an ensemble eg. the Sonata in G major also exists in a version for two flutes and continuo (BWV 1039), (also for two violins), with evidence of an earlier stage of composition.

Carl Philip Emanuel, who considered his father his ‘true’ teacher, nevertheless displays a different style despite, as in his Sonata in G minor for viola da gamba and harpsichord, evincing a structure very similar to that of his father’s. His is emotionally-charged at every step, with many written-out ornaments and strange dissonances in the harmonies.

Differing in personality, education and age (being 20 years younger than his brother), ‘John’ Christian seemed to move through life as effortlessly as his brother did not. For though Emanuel had an apparently plum job with Frederick of Prussia, his rate of pay was lower than many of his not-so-talented peers, and he was at the beck-and-call of his employer whose conservative tastes prohibited the adoption of newer practises. This made him chronically sarcastic and dissatisfied, which no doubt didn’t help his cause. John Christian’s sunny temperament, on the other hand was universally liked. He was considered generous to a fault, and certainly encouraged promising young players (including Mozart).  This shines through in his music – tuneful, often light-hearted, even humerous, and rarely with the depth of feeling that Emanuel exudes.

Where does Carl Friedrich Abel come into the lives of the three Bachs? The connection dated back to his youth when he spent time studying with Sebastian. Even before then, Sebastian had acted as godfather to his cousin. There is no evidence, but perhaps he took part in the famous soirées that Sebastian boasted of – where a fully formed ensemble could be made up of members of his own family. Abel’s skill as a gamba player was recognized early. In 1758 his career as a musician landed him in London where, in 1762, he was on hand to welcome the young 27- year-old Johann Christian when he stepped off the boat in search of his own career as composer-in-residence for the King’s Theatre, and a commission to compose two operas. Within 2 years the pair had formed a partnership bringing concerts to the English public, a partnership that was to last 18 years.