The music on this 16th volume of BIS’s ongoing complete C.P.E. Bach keyboard concerto cycle is a tiny bit less interesting than usual, although the performances are no less expert. The D major concerto has the advantage of flutes and horns to spice up its scoring, but only the finale features those quirky turns of phrase and harmony that we find so characteristic of the composer. On the other hand, the A minor concerto has plenty of that emotional intensity we nearly always find when Bach writes in minor keys. The Sonatina, which also includes pairs of flutes and horns (along with strings), explores the sonority of two keyboards: harpsichord and tangent piano. It was an excellent idea to juxtapose the timbres of harpsichord and tangent piano in this work, but then Miklós Spányi always chooses instruments with an appealing timbre, and this makes a huge difference in terms of the music’s sheer attractiveness. As usual, Opus X accompanies expertly, and the sonics are terrific. [10/14/2009]
