Unlike his father Johann Sebastian who primarily concentrated on sacred vocal settings for the church, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, unburdened by cantorial responsibility, composed mostly chamber music for the court. This sampling of five of C.P.E.’s chamber works performed by the San Francisco-based period-instrument ensemble Music’s Re-creation reveals another significant difference between the father and son: Unlike J.S., C.P.E.’s approach was stylistically more akin to the lighter, more florid manner of his father’s contemporary, Telemann. The two trio sonatas on this program are eminently charming, with their numerous lighthearted though witty flute and violin dialogues–especially effective in the opening Allegretto of the A minor sonata where the instruments relentlessly mimic one another before settling in delightful resignation (performed here more admirably than Les Amis de Philippe on CPO, who opt for much slower tempos). The humorous, quirky harpsichord continuo rhythms featured in the B minor violin sonata fascinate as well, not only for stealing much of the “dominant” instrument’s fire, but also for sharing the freewheeling flamboyant spirit characteristic of the composer’s often audacious solo keyboard writing. Music’s Re-creation delivers consistently excellent performances, complemented by crisp well-detailed, immediate sonics. In sum, a satisfying recital of rarely-recorded chamber works that all interested in J.S.’s most prodigious son will enjoy.
