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March in D arr. two guitars

An arrangement for two acoustic guitars of this adaptable and lively movement requiring dropped down D tuning. Both parts are written in conventional Show More...

An arrangement for two acoustic guitars of this adaptable and lively movement requiring dropped down D tuning. Both parts are written in conventional staff nation and TAB. Close

March in D solo keyboard

C.P.E.Bach's lively march from the Anna Magdalena Notebook written in cut time. This version for keyboard has the letter names of the notes written in Show More...

C.P.E.Bach's lively march from the Anna Magdalena Notebook written in cut time. This version for keyboard has the letter names of the notes written in the note heads to assist in learning the note positions of the treble and bass staves. Close

March in D solo keyboard

A lively and versatile though short piece by one of J.S. Bach's 4 composing sons. Competent playing of this music will require a secure playing techni Show More...

A lively and versatile though short piece by one of J.S. Bach's 4 composing sons. Competent playing of this music will require a secure playing technique and makes it an ideal performance piece. Typically a march is in 2/2 time and played briskly. The playback tempo in this score is 84 half note or minim beats to the minute. This March can be found in Bach’s family collection of music Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook which appeared in 1725. One of the challenges of the time was that music was frequently copied by hand and frequently it led to the wrong composer being identified as the source of a work. Editorial detail is in place for this short concise movement. All J.S Bach’s composing sons were taught by him and intestingly due to geography, age and different stylistic influences enjoyed different careers. The whole family is worthy of study not just the father. Close

March in D arr. electric guitar and bass

An arrangement for electric guitar and bass guitar of this characterful and lively march written in cut time. A tempo of 84 half note or minim beats i Show More...

An arrangement for electric guitar and bass guitar of this characterful and lively march written in cut time. A tempo of 84 half note or minim beats is used in the realisation and accompaniments are in place enabling both the electric guitarist and bassist to enjoy duet playing as part of practice routines. Ornaments are probably best omitted when learning the piece. Repeats are not in place in the accompaniments but if they are required please advise the PlentyMusic office. Both notated and TAB scores are in place. Close

March in D arr. violin and cello

An arrangement for violin and cello of this characterful and lively march written in cut time. A tempo of 76 half note or minim beats is used in the Show More...

An arrangement for violin and cello of this characterful and lively march written in cut time. A tempo of 76 half note or minim beats is used in the realisation and accompaniments are in place enabling both violin and cello players to enjoy duo playing as part of practice routines. Accompaniment tempos are 72, 76, 80 and 84 half note or minim beats to the minute. Close

March in C arr. trumpet in B Flat and tuba

An arrangement for trumpet in Bb and tuba of this characterful and lively march written in cut time.

March arr. clarinet in B Flat & bass clarinet

An arrangement for clarinet in Bb and bass clarinet of this lively and popular dance by C.P.E.Bach. Repeats are played. Accompaniments playing at 72, Show More...

An arrangement for clarinet in Bb and bass clarinet of this lively and popular dance by C.P.E.Bach. Repeats are played. Accompaniments playing at 72, 76, 80 and 84 half note or minim beats with a 4 bar count featuring the bass clarinet are also in place. The music sounds in Bb. Close

March in D arr for flute and cello

An arrangement for flute and cello of this characterful and lively march by C.P.E.Bach. The playback tempo is 76 half note or minim bpm and the repeat Show More...

An arrangement for flute and cello of this characterful and lively march by C.P.E.Bach. The playback tempo is 76 half note or minim bpm and the repeats are in place in both the playback and the 4 accompaniments. The arrangement is in 2/2 cut time and the ornament in the flute part has been notated as it should be played on the ossia staff. Close

March in D arr. flute and acoustic guitar

An arrangement for flute and acoustic guitar of this characterful and lively march by C.P.E.Bach. the guitar part is written in both conventional staf Show More...

An arrangement for flute and acoustic guitar of this characterful and lively march by C.P.E.Bach. the guitar part is written in both conventional staff notation and TAB. Close

March in D arr. oboe and bassoon

An arrangement for oboe and bassoon of this characterful and lively march written in cut time. A tempo of 72 half note or minim beats is used in the r Show More...

An arrangement for oboe and bassoon of this characterful and lively march written in cut time. A tempo of 72 half note or minim beats is used in the realisation and accompaniments are in place enabling both oboe and bassoon players to enjoy duet playing as part of practice routines. Close

Solfeggio in C minor

This piece has a misleading title because really it would be better described as a toccata. Keyboard players in the past particularly of small instrum Show More...

This piece has a misleading title because really it would be better described as a toccata. Keyboard players in the past particularly of small instruments like the clavichord were required to tune their instruments before playing them simply because instruments very quickly went out of tune. This is the origin of these "touch" or "tuning" pieces and C.P.E.Bach's Solfeggieto was composed very much in this style. Many of these touch pieces became in the hands of J.S.Bach and others very sophisticated compositions which were written down and described as toccatas. This is C.P.E. Bach's most familiar work and is an excellent piece for encouraging a light touch and dexterity in the fingers. There is a plain score appended to the edited score which the player can use if preferred. Close

First Movement | Keyboard Sonata in A

This is a pianistic and surprisingly technically quite straight forward to play. The main challenge is playing at a consistent tempo in the loud secti Show More...

This is a pianistic and surprisingly technically quite straight forward to play. The main challenge is playing at a consistent tempo in the loud sections. The realisation is plays at 132 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute although it can be played faster! A very light pianistic touch is required particularly at the tempo that this piece requires. Staccatissimo markings (a very short staccato and an identifiable keyboard touch imitating a plucking action on the keys) have been used in the score together with staccato markings indicating that a short note is to be played. Some use of the sustaining pedal is suggested particularly when arpeggiated chords are played although this has not been indicated on the score. The closing section should be played at a steady two beats in the bar feel and needs to be understood as being a link to the second slow movement of the sonata. This piece is also excellent for developing rotation skills in the wrist and forearm. C.P.E.Bach's favourite keyboard instrument was the clavichord which is a very quiet sounding instrument and it is evident from his considerable output of music that he was a very hard working musician and composer. The ornaments, apart from the crushed notes or acciaccaturas have been written out in full to add clarity to the score whilst the repeats are not played in the realisation. The music editor suggests listening to performances of this movement played on different types of keyboard instruments. Close

Rondo in D minor Wq.61/4

A dramatic and spirited movement which whilst very different texturally to Beethoven’s music harmonically it does point in his direction. In charact Show More...

A dramatic and spirited movement which whilst very different texturally to Beethoven’s music harmonically it does point in his direction. In character the music is almost a conversational piece although formally it can be described as a rondo which is a piece with a recurring theme. The phrase structure is not particularly regular and there are several changes of mood in the various section although the main thematic motive is always clearly recognisable. The sheet music score has been prepared for the performance on the piano and only limited use of the sustaining pedal is suggested. For clarity the music editor suggests essentially the one ornament shape when performing the work which reflects current practice in the interpretation of music of this period. Too many different ornaments can be distracting both to the performer and listener alike. The opening ornaments are notated on ossia staves and the player should continue with the same shapes through the movement. The slight slowing down appropriate at the ends of the phrases are not marked in the score. There are recordings available of this work played on the modern piano, fortepiano and the harpsichord. C.P.E Bach was a prolific composer and an important transition figure in music history linking the baroque with the classical age in music history. He was very aware of contemporary practice and contributed much to developing style and form although at the same time he was able to remain surprisingly free spirited. C.P. Bach’s music is worthy of attention and for piano players there is a wealth of excellent music for the developing pianist. This work composed in 1786 and published in 1787 comes from period near the end of his life. Close

Third Movement Allegro assai | Sonata in Am Wq 49/1

This movement is the third and last movement of a sonata published as part of a collection of harpsichord sonatas in 1742. Whilst there is evidence in Show More...

This movement is the third and last movement of a sonata published as part of a collection of harpsichord sonatas in 1742. Whilst there is evidence in the score of its harpsichord origins it is nevertheless a piece very suited to being performed on a modern piano. The counterpoint or combination of lines of music lines is a particularly strong element in the composition. A tempo of 132 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is used in the realisation although a target of 120 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is probably a fair target in the first instance. Contemporary performances of the piece generally have the first section repeated and the second section played without a repeat. There is quite an amount of dramatic tension in the music arising from the detached notes and the concise two bar phrasing suggesting at times an almost hushed urgency. The ornaments include trills which start on the note, crushed notes or acciaccaturas and the odd appoggiatura which have sometimes been written out as in bar 7. The ornaments in the section from bar 86 to 91 are best played as crushed notes giving the music a more classical spirit to it although in some scores they are notated as appoggiaturas. The music editor always references contemporary performance practice when preparing scores and favours crushed notes in this instance. As usual the music editor has been very consistent in his approach to ornamentation and advises players to keep matters as simple and straightforward as possible. Keep the trills metrical and the editor suggests that it is best to avoid a triplet ending to the trills although they are inclined to sneak in to ones playing almost unnoticed. Spread chords are a feature and some work is required to sort out the sharing of the work load between the two hands. This is an excellent example of music that is for want of a better description is pre-classical composed in the period between the baroque and classical era. C. P. E. Bach’s music is deserving of being played and listened to more regularly in what is one of the most interesting and fascinating times in music history. The music editor is keen to hear that this piece is being played and would value receiving feedback. Whilst a sheet music score has been prepared as if the piece is a classical work there is a plain score appended to the edited music score. Close

First Movement from Keyboard Sonata in F minor W.57/6 H.173

This music was composed in 1763 and anticipates particularly thematically and rhythmically musical directions later explored by Beethoven and others. Show More...

This music was composed in 1763 and anticipates particularly thematically and rhythmically musical directions later explored by Beethoven and others. Pianists need to approach playing this movement with clarity in their rhythmic intention and demonstrate an understanding of the context of the triplet figuration that dominates the movement. Whilst the realisation indicates the music editor’s intention as to how the music should be approached the piano touch could be on the lighter side and there could be a little more “ebb and flow” tempo wise in the cadenza like sections (bars 22-23, bars 55-56 & bars 78-79) and at cadences. Although the music texturally isn’t complicated, the piece is quite demanding to play in that a consistency of touch and articulation is required. The instrument needs to be played with a lightness of touch with the player intent upon communicating the beauty of the music. Understandably there is no evidence of performance practice from C.P.E Bach’s own time and the music editor suggests that it is quite possibly that approaches to playing of music from this period have changed over time. A tempo of 120 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is used in the realisation. The music copy has been prepared with the modern piano intended as the performance instrument. Limited use of the sustaining pedal can be considered and ornaments need to be played with a similar rhythmic clarity and an understanding of context. Not many people play C.P.E.Bach’s music which is a shame because he composed works of quality and he has an important position in music history linking the Baroque with the Classical era. Both Haydn and Beethoven were influenced by his compositional approach. The music editor also suggests listening to the available recordings of the work played on a variety of different keyboard instruments. Interestingly there are many different approaches to playing this piece particularly with respect to tempo and rhythmic interpretation. Some performers approach the piece as if it is a piece of classical music even suggesting tempos and a playing approach in the style and manner of playing a Beethoven piano sonata. Recordings also have different acoustic properties although many in the music editor’s opinion are much too reverberant and consequently “rather cloudy”. The challenge is to play the piece with the intention of revealing its beauty, its texture, it’s rhythmic intention and the composer’s individual style whilst acknowledging its historical context. Whilst the music, texturally, belongs to the baroque both thematically and rhythmically the musical content looks forward and anticipates much of the keyboard music style of Haydn and Beethoven. This is an ideal challenge for some test piece at a competition or music festival because it invites so many different approaches. There is a commentary on how to play the ornaments in the score. Close

Variations on the Song “I slept, I dreamed”

A theme and 10 variations selected from the set of twenty four published 1770. The writing suggests the music was intended for both the harpsichord an Show More...

A theme and 10 variations selected from the set of twenty four published 1770. The writing suggests the music was intended for both the harpsichord and fortepiano. The editor has selected variations particularly appropriate to the development of piano technique and has avoided including variations which are more baroque in character and suited to being played on the harpsichord. The musical content is both charming and appealing, well suited to developing technical skills and musical memory. The tempo of the theme is played at 76 quarter notes to the minute and generally, the tempo of the variations remains the same with the minor variation possibly played a little slower. The ornamentation is straight forward and the sheet music score has ossia staves with some of the ornaments written out in full. No pedal markings have been notated in the score although some use of the sustaining pedal may be used. This is excellent music for developing keyboard technique and the music editor is surprised that the movement is not more widely known. The German title for this music is Variationen über das lied "ich schlief, da träumte mir”. Close

Adagio from Sonata in A minor Wq 70/4, H 85

Carl Philip Emanuel Bach 1714 - 1788 is an important figure in music history and a composer that links the baroque with the classical era. He was an i Show More...

Carl Philip Emanuel Bach 1714 - 1788 is an important figure in music history and a composer that links the baroque with the classical era. He was an important influence on F.J.Haydn and L. van Beethoven who both held J. S. Bach’s composing son in high regard. This particular period in music history is a fascinating one and C.P.E Bach’s music is deserving of more attention both from the performance point of view and the need for well researched modern editions of his most popular music. This particular movement is in the “empfindsamer Stil” or sensitive style that is a feature in much of C.P.E.Bach’s music and other north German composers of the mid 18th century. It is approach that focuses on the expression of emotion in an intimate musical style that could be described as being declamatory or one that utilises both drama and dialogue. Whilst a movement with appeal there will be quite a challenge getting the piece to a performance standard. A realisation score with the ornaments all written out is appended to the sheet music score so that keyboard players can make a thorough study of the ornamentation of this work. This is an often complex and contradictory area but understandable because this composition comes from a time of great change in music. Keyboard players should have a sense of an eighth note quaver beat whilst the video score plays back at a tempo of 58 quaver beats to the minute. C.P.E. Bach’s favourite keyboard instrument was the in fact the clavichord and he was not really known to be an organ virtuoso like his father. He composed relatively little for the organ but did write some sonatas music for the sister of Frederick II, the Great, Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia. This movement which is part of a three movement sonata was composed sometime around 1755. C.P.E. Bach was known as the “Berlin Bach” whilst he worked in Berlin and then the “Hamburg Bach” when he moved there to replace his godfather Telemann as Kapellmeister. This distinguished him from his brother J.C. Bach who was known as the “London Bach”. Close