The Bach family keyboard adventures continue this week on Vox Nostra as Vlad brings out two facets of CPE Bach’s keyboard compositions. The second half of the 18th century was a time of interplay between harpsichord and fortepiano and in fact it could be said it was truly a time of multi-keyboard existence. Today’s programme brings us music by JS Bach’s eldest son, played on harpsichord by Mahan Esfahani, and on fortepiano, played by Matthieu Dupouy. From this latter recording, we’ll get to hear one of CPE’s last works, his ‘Clavier-Sonatas and Free Fantasias for Fortepiano’, Wq 61 from 1787. A polyphonic counterpoint is brought to this morning’s playlist by way of The Sixteen’s 7th volume of Palestrina’s complete works on the Coro label.
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 9th December, 7am-10am