5th Child - Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Arguably the most gifted of J.S. Bach’s offspring, C.P.E. Bach was a highly original composer of symphonies, keyboard and choral music.  Building on the Baroque training he learned as a boy, he became one of the foremost clavier players in Europe (after studying for a degree in law). His Essay on the True Art of Keyboard Playing established him as the leading keyboard teacher of the time.  He formed a musical bridge between the Baroque and Classical eras. “He is the father, we are the children,” Mozart said of C.P.E. Bach.

C.P.E. Bach’s position as court musician to Frederick the Great also included the task of providing accompaniment on the keyboard for the king’s flute solos. Frederick believed himself to be a much better flautist than he was and often took liberties with the tempo. At the end of one royal performance, a delighted sycophant exclaimed, “Your Majesty, what rhythm!” C.P.E. Bach is said to have muttered under his breath, “What rhythms!”