C.P.E. Bach and the Rebirth of the Strophic Song brings to light the overlooked fact that C.P.E. Bach wrote a great many songs, most of which are as under appreciated as they are exemplary. C.P.E. Bach has quite recently become a popular composer on FM 'concert' stations, but his songs are still neglected. C.P.E. Bach is not usually thought of as a composer of songs, yet he was the most distinguished creator of the modern German language solo song during the last two-thirds of the eighteenth century. In all, he wrote close to 300 songs. Because he was an endlessly experimental composer, they range from ordinary strophic songs and simple chorales to long, cantata-like pieces of a couple hundred bars. The book focuses on two topics: Bach's musical background and a detailed examination of his songs. That C.P.E. Bach was famous as a vocal composer is proven by the fact that all but a handful of his songs had been published by the time of his death in 1788. All interested listeners, from amateurs to professional musicologists and singers, will benefit from the insight captured by this book.
- ISBN: 9780810848405 (0810848406)