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"He could be mistaken for a genteel British musicologist," a New York Times critic once said of Andrew Manze, "that is, until he puts the violin under his chin, at which point Mr. Manze transforms into some sort of mad scientist running wild in an imaginary laboratory of 18th-century sound."  

Andrew Manze no doubt revels in that description, because as far as he's concerned, playing Baroque music is all about the unexpected musical potions he concocts every time he begins to play or conduct The English Concert.

Andrew Manze took over the helm of The English Concert in 2003, 30 years after it was formed by Trevor Pinnock. On their latest release, they dig into the repertoire of Johann Sebastian Bach's gifted son, Carl Philipp Emanuel.  The Cello Concerto in A major is sandwiched in between four late symphonies by the composer. 

Structurally, the concerto varies little from those written by Antonio Vivaldi, although that's not surprising, given that J.S. Bach studied Vivaldi's works intently and passed that knowledge on to his son. But this cello concerto is unique in that it survives in three versions, one each for flute, harpsichord and cello.  

C.P.E. Bach composed all three versions when he served as harpsichordist to the flute-playing King of Prussia, Frederick the Great. Bach wrote the cello arrangement for his friend, Christian Friedrich Schale, who held weekly concerts in his Berlin home. The soloist on this new recording is Scottish cellist Alison McGillivray, a member of The English Concert.  From the moment I first listened to the recording, it was McGillivray's warm, rich tone and technical mastery that captured my attention.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach wrote the four symphonies that appear on this recording after he became the director of music for the five main churches in Hamburg, a post previously held by his godfather, Georg Philipp Telemann. Frederick the Great had censored much of his music, but in Hamburg Carl Philipp Emanuel was able to compose with abandon; it was a time of great freedom.  

My favorite symphony on this new recording is the first one. It's written in the key of D major, yet every time I hear the first movement I can't help but think of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in g minor.

From its very first notes, Mozart's g minor symphony seems to reflect C.P.E. Bach's Symphony No. 1. Both open with the strings playing pianissimo, creating a sense of anticipation. Then the floodgates open, with  the strings joined by the wind instruments, and together they race into high gear. C.P.E. Bach's powerful symphonies form a musical bridge between the Baroque and Classical styles, and they did influence both Mozart and Beethoven.

According to Andrew Manze, spontaneity is the key to playing Baroque music. The danger, he believes, is in opening a score and playing it the same way every time. It's when he surprises even himself that he finds things get really interesting. Andrew Manze and the English Concert have a number of surprises in store for themselves and for you on this new recording of orchestral works by C.P.E. Bach.

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Julie Amacher

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On their latest release, Andrew Manze and The English Concert perform five orchestral works by Johann Sebastian Bach's gifted son, Carl Philipp Emanuel.

New CD shows a son of Bach bridging two eras

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