Top > ★C.P.E. Bachʼs Musical Works > Keyboard Concertos by C.P.E. Bach > Keyboard Concerto Wq. 19 in A Major

This site introduces unknown composer Emanuel Bach (C. P. E. Bach). This English version was translated from Japanese one by ChatGPT.

Emanuel Bach Keyboard Concerto in A Major Wq. 19 (H. 422)

• 1st Movement: Allegretto
• 2nd Movement: Andante
• 3rd Movement: Allegro assai

ChatGPT4o writes as follows (please note that it may not be accurate):

The Keyboard Concerto Wq. 19 (H. 423[422]) by Emanuel Bach was composed in 1746 and is one of the most notable pieces among his keyboard concertos from his Berlin period. This concerto is based on the ensemble of solo keyboard and strings (two violins, viola, and bass), skillfully expressing a fusion of the galant style and the empfindsamer Stil.

In the 1st movement, a clear and powerful theme is presented, with the solo and tutti sections developing in close dialogue. The solo part is interwoven with brilliant and technical elements. The 2nd movement is a lyrical and introspective Adagio, richly reflecting the characteristics of the empfindsamer Stil, with its profound emotional expression standing out. The 3rd movement has a lively and dance-like character, highlighting the elegant features of the galant style.

In this work, the balance between the solo and tutti is skillfully designed, allowing the solo partʼs free expression and technique to be fully showcased. Wq. 19 is highly regarded as one of Emanuel Bachʼs keyboard concertos with a high degree of formal completion, shining with the maturity and individuality of his compositional technique. It holds an important position as a bridge to his later works.

In the 3rd movement of the A Major H. 422/Wq. 19, for example, much of the initial “solo section” consists of rapid alternations between the soloist and the accompanying strings. The strings reintroduce and further develop the musical ideas presented in the opening tutti ritornello, playing together. In the second solo section, after the second presentation of the ritornello by the strings (this time in the dominant key), the solo keyboard instrument finally takes the lead. In this section, there are often brilliant and technical passages accompanied by light string accompaniment. However, in the conclusion of this movement, the expected solid tutti section is absent, replaced by a short, inconclusive string passage that creates a sense of wandering, leaving the solo instrument in anticipation. Subsequently, a strong appearance of the strings, dramatically prepared by an improvisational-sounding solo passage, signals the beginning of a new rapid alternation between solo and tutti sections.

In the A Major Concerto H. 422/Wq. 19, the opening ritornello is reminiscent of the beginning of Johann Sebastian Bachʼs Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. The solo section appears with a melody starting at the same pitch as the strings but progresses at half the tempo, altering its character. In the other two concertos included on this disc, the introduction of the solo section in the first movement has a similar effect. When the strings interrupt the solo sections in these movements, it often functions not to unify them but to highlight their distinct characteristics. In this way, Emanuel Bach explored various musical relationships that could give depth and meaning to traditional genres within the same work.

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