Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) blazed new pathways with his unorthodox approaches to form, counterpoint, and especially intense emotional expression. Composing in the period of transition between the dying Baroque period and the burgeoning new Enlightenment in Europe, he developed a variant style of his own. His music displays traits of extremes of tempo, abrupt transitions, shocking contrasts, and completely unheard of modulations. Even today’s listeners can be caught off-guard by Bach’s bracing originality - but probably not when listening to these performances by Zacharias and his Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.

Of Bach's three groups of symphonies, the Berlin Symphonies (Wq173-Wq181) are the earliest Carl Philipp Emanual penned while in the service of Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia (the future Frederick the Great) from 1738-1768. His model for the three movement form, each movement generally lasting around 3 minutes, in fast-slow-fast succession, was Johann Gottlieb Graun. Under the Dresden School of thought, Graun was much influenced by the strong Italian presence there, and some Italianate moments can also be detected in Bach's Berlin Symphonies. However, CPE was soon following his own course in developing the form, by his strongly emotional ("Sturm und Drang") writing and experimental harmonic schemes. His first movements are the most ambitious, all through-composed and with a ritornello structure. Finales are dance-like, all but one in binary form with repeat signs for both halves. Slow movements run the gamut from modulating connective passages between the other movements to movements nearly as substantial as the first movements. Frequently, Bach also asks that pairs of movements or entire symphonies should be played without breaks.

All the symphonies have basso continuo, usually harpsichord and violone, and the Berlin ones were mostly written for strings only, but later CPE added woodwinds and brass to them, their final form. Violins often play in unison, violas usually double the bass in octaves, and cellos are sometimes omitted (at the time, both the cello and double-bass were gradually developing and entering orchestras).

Interesting, most of the best recordings of CPE's symphonies are by period-instrument groups, where Hogwood, Pinnock, Bruggen, Kuijken, Harnoncourt with Concentus Musicus Wien and Jacobs fully exploit CPE's ideals with thrilling results. Their performances echo his maxim that players should be just as emotional as they expect their audiences to be, and they have the required high energy, high contrast and frequent surprises to ambush the listeners. Not so in Lausanne, however. As a fervent fan of CPE's music, I was very disappointed with Zacharias's readings. These are inoffensive, low key renditions with no particular distinction or interpretive flair. No sizzling passions or approaching storms, merely soft-edged, very metric and, well, cosy playing at best. Slow movements may start out promisingly, but they quickly sink into the insipid but merely pretty mode, encouraging the mind to wander and loosing all tension.

This disc of six of the eight Berlin symphonies is redeemed somewhat by its clean, detailed but fairly close recording, although the hardly audible harpsichord (which should to modern ears indicate the music's period) is unforgivable. There is little in the way of a distinctive acoustic, even in multichannel, but just enough bloom to let the music expand, but in any case dynamics are limited compared with many of the period instrument editions. If you want to hear the real CPE Bach, there are two symphonies in sa-cd on Bach, CPE: Symphonies & Concertos - Barokkanerne, which will have you on the edge of your seat.

The Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, perhaps best known for their Mozart Piano Concerto cycle, play on modern instruments. Since the continuo is well-nigh inaudible on this disc, I have to guess that they substituted a double bass for the violone. The harpsichord is ludicrously reticent, with nothing more than a faint tinkle or two in the background signalling its presence, as if it was somehow embarrassed to be there at all.

Fans of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra will probably buy this disc, but its anaemic approach to the volatile and unorthodox CPE Bach is not my cup of tea.

Copyright © 2013 John Miller and HRAudio.net

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