Budapest - JC Bach: Sinfonias, Vol.3 [CD]

Johann Christian Bach (1735 -1782)Sinfonia, Op. 9Sinfonia concertante in A Major, To 284/4Sinfonia concertante in E Flat Major, To 284/6 Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son of the great ThomascantorJohann Sebastian, was born on 5th September 1735 in Leipzig. Known from themost important periods of his career either as the Milan Bach or the LondonBach, he owed his musical education either directly to his father, or at leastto his supervision. After the latter's death in 1750 ~e moved to Berlin, wherehis brother Carl Philipp Emanuel, 21 years his elder, undertook his furthertraining. In common with many other musicians he was attracted by Italy, wherehe moved in 1756, becoming a pupil in Bologna of the then most distinguished musictheorist Padre Martini, who later gave lessons to Mozart. After conversion toCatholicism he was appointed organist at Milan cathedral, soon after turning hisattention to opera and consequently to the Italian form of symphony. In 1762 Bachmove finally to London, where he won success as a composer of opera and asmusic-master to Her Majesty Queen Sophie Charlotte of England, enjoying highfavour at court. In 1764 with the composer and viola da gamba virtuoso CarlFriedrich Abel he founded the Bach-Abel Concerts, which from 1775 took place inthe famous Hanover Square Rooms. In the same year came the important meetingwith the eight-year-old Mozart, who visited London with his father and playedfor him. Johann Christian was an unrivalled exponent of the galant styleand exercised a strong influence on the musical development of the youngMozart, an example that it is possible to trace in the latter's later work. Ashis star had risen like a comet in the middle of the eighteenth century, so quicklydid his fame decline at the beginning of the 1780s. In May 1781, he gave hislast concert in London. Now financial and health problems compelled him moreand more to withdraw into private life. He died in straitened circumstances in Londonon lst January 1782. Mozart gave moving expression to his sorrow in a letter,writing of the great loss to the musical world. Known respectively as Giovanni or John, Bach left somesixty symphonies as well as twenty concertante symphonies for one or more soloinstruments, not counting thirty solo fortepiano or harpsichord concertos.Evidence of his fame is seen in the numerous publications of his instrumentalcompositions in his own life-time, in particular of his symphonies. These are,except for one and a doubtful example, in three movements, in the formdeveloped from the Italian opera-symphony (fast - slow - fast) and used by Bachin the overtures to his operas. The gift for thematic invention inherited fromhis father, under Italian influence transformed into singing, lyrical material,his understanding of form giving rise to a new school of composition, subtlefeeling for colour and for formal clarity, harmony and thematic contrast areall characteristics of his musical style. Opera-symphonies with Ba