Poster Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, circa 1780
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, circa 1780
Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Performance Today®

C.P.E. Bach moves to Hamburg

For 27 years, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach wrote relatively conservative music for the court of King Frederick the Great. Then, in 1768, the composer was permitted to break out of the box. He moved to Hamburg, and his music began to sound strikingly modern. On Saturday's Performance Today, hear C.P.E. Bach's Sinfonia in C major, from a concert in Athens, Georgia.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor
Mikhail Pletnev, piano
CPE Bach: Sonatas & Rondos
DG 459614

George Frideric Handel: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in D Major, HWV 371
James Ehnes, violin; Luc Beausejour, harpsichord
Seattle Chamber Music Society, Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall, Seatlle, WA

The Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Sarah Painting from South Hadley, MA

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Sinfonia in C Major for Strings, W. 182, No. 3
Danbi Um, violin; Daniel Phillips, violin; Yura Lee, viola; Daniel McDonough, cello; David Grossman, double bass; Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord
CMSLC, University of Georgia, Performing Arts Center, Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, GA

Hour 2

Franz Schubert: Ave Maria, Op. 52, No. 6
Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Kathryn Stott, piano
Songs From the Arc of Life
Sony 88875103162

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony for Strings (Quartet No. 10, arr. for orchestra) - Movements 3 & 4
Chamber Orchestra Kremlin; Misha Rachlevsky, conductor
Beaches Fine Arts, Jacksonville, Florida, St. Paul's by the Sea Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL

Rick del Castillo (arr. George Oldziey): Polo Battle, from "Killing Snakes"
Austin Civic Orchestra; Lois Ferrari, conductor
Sapo de Oro and Austin Civic Orchestra, Long Center, Dell Hall, Austin TX

Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960: Movement 1
Marc-Andrew Hamelin, piano
The Cliburn, Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, TX

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About Performance Today®

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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

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