Composer of the Week: CPE Bach

In 1773, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach sat down to record his life story, making him one of the first composers to produce an autobiography. This week, Donald Macleod uses Bach's account to see what it can reveal about his family, whose musical credentials reached back seven generations. Donald begins with the composer's introduction to his illustrious father, the great Johann Sebastian Bach, and reveals how their home in Leipzig became a mecca for visiting musicians. But why did Bach make no mention of his musically talented siblings? CPE Bach: L'Aly Rupalich, Wq 117, No 27. Marc-André Hamelin (piano). Symphony for Strings and Continuo in G, Wq 182, No 1. Berlin Barock Solisten, Reinhard Goebel (director). Fantasia for keyboard in C, Wq 61, No 6. Marc-André Hamelin (piano). Trio Sonata in B minor, Wq 143. Christian Delafontaine (flute), Friedmann Sarnau (violin), Philippe Mermoud (cello), Michel Jordan (harpsichord). Keyboard Concerto in G, Wq 3 Pieter-Jan Belder (harpsichord/director), Musica Amphion.