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Character Piece Wq. 117-19 ʼLa Gleimʼ
This site introduces unknown Emanuel Bach (C. P. E. Bach).
C. P. E. Bach Character Piece ʼLa Gleimʼ Wq. 117-19 (H. 89)
ChatGPT4o writes as follows (please note that it may not be accurate):
Emanuel Bachʼs character piece "La Gleim" (Wq. 117/19) is an elegant and lyrical work included in the 1765 collection "Character Pieces." It is set in the key of C major and is characterized by its soft and delicate melody. The title "La Gleim" is thought to be a dedication to the German poet Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim. He was a literary figure associated with the Empfindsamer Stil (Sensitive Style), and his interactions with Bach may have influenced the music. This piece exudes a poetic and intimate atmosphere, requiring the performer to exhibit delicate expressiveness.
According to the commentary by Darrell M. Berg on Miklós Spányi's CD (BIS-CD-1198) (translated by ChatGPT4o):
"This work was included in the ʼRaccolta delle più Nuove Composizioni di Clavicembalo di Differenti Maestri ed Autori per lʼAnno 1756ʼ compiled by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (Leipzig: J. G. I. Breitkopf, 1756). The title refers to the poet Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (1719–1803). Gleim stayed in Berlin in the mid-1740s and left in 1747 to become the secretary of the Halberstadt Cathedral Chapter. Despite feeling melancholic about living a solitary life in the countryside, he maintained an enthusiastic correspondence with his friends in Berlin, frequently mentioning Emanuel Bach. Bach used some of Gleimʼs poems in his compositions and musically depicted Gleim himself in this work. ʼLa Gleimʼ bears the subtitle ʼRondo,ʼ showing a clear homage to the French style. The first ʼpartieʼ (in A minor) is calm and filled with melancholy, possibly reflecting Gleimʼs hypersensitive and hypochondriac nature. In this section, the rondoʼs refrain alternates with three couplets (episodes). The next ʼpartieʼ (in A major) temporarily brightens but concludes with a melancholic refrain."
For an overview of Wq. 117 as a whole, see Character Pieces Wq. 117
.