It’s always interesting to know what recordings spark the interest of fellow music lovers. The list below reflects new and old recordings that look promising to us. We will periodically add to the list as new releases catch our attention. We welcome your comments and suggestions to info@guarnerihall.org.

C.P.E Bach: Sonatas & Rondos, Marc-Andre Hamelin

The first repertoire selection that we’re listening to this week are the C.P.E Bach’s Sonatas & Rondos as performed by Marc-Andrea Hamelin. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 – 1788), the fifth son of J.S. Bach, was more famous in his day than his father. C.P.E. Bach’s fresh and imaginative music led the way from the baroque to the classical style, greatly influencing Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. His treatise, Essay on the true art of playing keyboard instruments, was once considered a foundational textbook.

Pianist Marc-Andre Hamlin performs C.P.E. Bach

However, C.P.E. Bach doesn’t get enough love nowadays. The much-admired Canadian piano virtuoso Marc-Andre Hamelin has done his part to correct this oversight with C.P.E Bach: Sonatas & Rondos, released on the Hyperion label late last fall. Hamelin’s pianistic brilliance and interpretive insight seem sure to make this release a favorite.

                                  

Eleanor Alberga: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 and The Soul’s Expression, BBC National Orchestra of Wales