JCF Bach - Musical Leisure Hours

       Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach was a son of Johann Sebastian and served at the court of Buckeburg. In 1787-8, he published a four-volume collection of his keyboard and other music under the title Musical Leisure Hours, which contains 69 pieces.
       Miniatures intended for light entertainment, these are mostly pieces in the popular dance forms of the day, while a few look back to the style of his father. Below are the listings of each individual pieces:
BR A 51:Allegro in C 
BR A 52:Minuet in C
BR A 53:Andante in G
BR A 54:March in G
BR A 55:Allegretto in F
BR A 56:Minuet (alternative) in F and B
BR A 57:Polonaise in F
BR A 58:Allegretto in D
BR A 59:March in D
BR A 60:Schwabisch in D
BR A 61:Minuet and Trio in D,G
BR A 62:Angloise in G
BR A 63:Villanella in C
BR A 64:Scherzo in C
BR A 65:Allegro moderato in G
BR A 66:Minuet and Trio in G,C
BR A 67:Polonaise in G
BR A 68:March in G
BR A 69:Angloise and Trio in G
BR A 70:Allegro in F
BR A 71:Schwabisch in F
BR A 72:Minuet and Trio in F,B
BR A 73:Allegro in D minor
BR A 74:Angloise in F
BR A 75:Minuet in C
BR A 76:March in G
BR A 77:Minuet and Trio in D,G
BR A 78:Allegro in G
BR A 79:Minuet and Trio in G
BR A 80:Allegro in B
BR A 81:Villanella in D
BR A 82:Angloise and Trio in D,G
BR A 83:March in G
BR A 84:Villanella in B
BR A 85:Angloise in B
BR A 86:Presto in G minor
BR A 87:Allegro in E-flat
BR A 88:Adagio in C minor
BR A 89:March in E-flat
BR A 90:Minuet and Trio in E-flat,B
BR A 91:Polonaise in E-flat
BR A 92:Angloise and Trio in E-flat,B
BR A 93:March in E-flat
BR A 94:Minuet (alternative) in E-flat,C minor
BR A 95:Allegro in E minor
BR A 96:Minuet (alternative) in A,E
BR A 97:Angloise in D
BR A 98:Angloise in D
BR A 99:Minuet and Trio in D,A
BR A 100:Musette in G
BR A 101:Solfeggio in G
BR A 102:Angloise in D
BR A 103:Minuet and Trio in G,D
BR A 104:Polonaise in D
BR A 105:March in D
BR A 106:Andante in E
BR A 107:Angloise in A
BR A 108:Solfeggio in D
BR A 109:Angloise in G
BR A 110:March in B
BR A 111:Schwabisch in F
BR A 112:Angloise in B
BR A 113:Schwabisch in D
BR A 114:Polonaise in E-flat
BR A 115:Minuet and Trio in E-flat,B
BR A 116:Schwabisch in C
BR A 117:Minuet and Trio in C
BR A 118:Angloise in F
BR A 119:Alla Polacca in C

all music are from CB

Other Pieces not included in Musical Leisure Hours:
BR A 120:Minuet and Trio in F,F minor CB
BR A 121:Polonaise in G BSB
BR A 122:Minuet in F BSB
BR A 123:Polonaise in F BSB
BR A 124:Minuet in G BSB
BR A 125:Minuet in A BSB

It is tempting to collect them all although selections are only published, they will delight every pianist despite miniatures.

STAY TUNED...

MENDELSSOHN - THE PIANO SONATAS

MENDELSSOHN - BETWEEN PRELUDES AND FUGUES

JCF BACH - THE MUSICAL LEISURE HOURS

n more

JCF Bach - The Keyboard Concertos

      Keyboard concertos are always a favourite genre loved by many Classical period musicians, neither do JCF. He had composed at least 12 keyboard concertos and they are standard parameters to judge the style of the composer. Listings as below:

• BR C29 \ Keyboard Concerto in E-flat major LSL(36p),SA(na)*falsely attributed to JC
• BR C30a \ Keyboard Concerto in A major (Orchestral version) LSL(47p),LC(46p),AL(49p),SA(na)
• BR C30b \ (Solo piano version) UGRL(15p),BL(12p)*falsely attributed to JC and CPE
• BR C31 \ Keyboard Concerto "London No. 1" in G major BL(//92p)
• BR C32 \ Keyboard Concerto "London No. 2" in F major BL(//92p)
• BR C33 \ Keyboard Concerto "London No. 3" in D major BL(//92p)
• BR C34 \ Keyboard Concerto "London No. 4" in E-flat major BL(//92p)
• BR C35 \ Keyboard Concerto "London No. 5" in B-flat major BL(//92p)
• BR C36 \ Keyboard Concerto "London No. 6" in C major BL(//92p)
• BR C37 \ Keyboard Concerto in E major (Wf II:1) BSB(16p)
• BR C40 \ Keyboard Concerto in F major (Wf II:4) WK/BSB(34p)
• BR C41 \ Keyboard Concerto in D major (Wf II:2) WK/BSB(33p)
• BR C43 \ Concerto Grosso in E-flat major (Wf II:5) (1792) WK/CV/BSB(42p)

Abbrev.

LSL-Leipzig State Library

SA-Singsakademie Berlin

LC-Library of Congress

BL-British Library

BSB-Berlin State Library

WK-Wolfgang Kiess (publisher)pocket score at 29.07 euros

CV-Carus Verlag full score at 31 euros

In my opinion, the London concertos and Concerto in E major are all survived in solo piano version due to the less page count. Therefore, reconstruction of the orchestral parts is needed to recover the full music, same goes to concertos by Kozeluch.

FORGOTTEN GENIUS : George Frederick Pinto

     An English composer and violinist who had a high reputation in the early years of the 19th century. He died in 1806  at the early age of 20. His teacher and protector, Johann Saloman had called him 'the English Mozart', he received similar tributes from Samuel Wesley, Ayrton and Davison. Sterndale Bennett edited one of his piano sonatas and performed several times in the 1840s. However, his music has been forgotten for over a hundred years.
     Pinto was by far the most remarkable English composer of his generation with a style much common with that of Dussek. It also bear resemblance with the 3 early sonatas of John Field (1 of it posted earlier), but nothing to do with Field's nocturnes. Pinto possessed a strength of purpose not found in Field, an emotional intensity far exceeding Smauel Wesley's, and harmonic and melodic resources that sometimes place him among the masters of the Classical period. His early death is one of those tragedies of musical history whose consequences cannot be measured.
     His surviving works include seven piano sonatas ( 3 piano sonatas, 3 piano sonatinas and 1 Fantasia and sonata to be exact) and other music for piano, 4 violin sonatas, nine duets for 2 unaccompanied violins and 16 songs. For now, I will be extracting interesting musical samples from Pinto's piano music to make a deep insight of them. A cd by Michael o'Rourke featuring major Pinto piano works has been recorded years ago.
                                                                                                                                                           NT

Grand Sonata in C minor, from 3 Sonatas op.2

sample page from the original edition

INSIGHTS

The main theme of the sonata's 1st movt., blasting fierically with strong V-I chord progressions, sextuplets of semiquavers supporting the chords, produce a dramatic sound effect

Expressive theme followed by, touching softly...

Modulation to E-flat major, a sonatina-like structure appeared shortly after...

Second part of the movement, nearing to the final...

PROJECT JCF

This project is planned after several considerations, to collect surviving copies of JCF Bach's keyboard music and keyboard concertos. Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, JCF for short, remains the last mystery of JS Bach sons.His brothers, CPE and WF both are widely recognized at their period (transitional-classical)and today, at the keyboard repertoire. We hardly ever source any of JCF's works being played on modern piano. At present, ABRSM has listed JCF's Sonata no.6 in E-flat(as posted earlier)as their Grd7 exam piece. For modern critical editions, observe the titles below, with their respective publishers.
Six Easy Sonatas BR A 3-8, by Schott, $14.39*
Sechs (Leichte) Sonaten BR A 16-21, by Carus Verlag, $26.66
Drei (Leichte) Sonaten BR A 26,27,31, by Carus Verlag $19.93
Sonatina in A minor BR A 12, by Carus Verlag $10.81
Musical Leisure Hours (Selections), ABRSM & Schott $10.81
If one don't want to waste time editing first editions or autographs, these are their choices, readily performable. But for me, I would like to spend some time editing original editions, to make them my editions. The sources for piano sonatas are as stated below with their respective libraries.

• BR A 1\ Keyboard Sonata in F major - from MV
• BR A 2 \ Keyboard Sonata in C major (Wf XI:2) - UGRL/MV
• BR A 3 - 8 \ Six Easy Sonatas (Wf XI:3) - GUL/CB
• BR A 9 \ Keyboard Sonata in C major (Wf XI:4) - CB/B-BC 6312
• BR A 10 \ Keyboard Sonata in G major (Wf XI:5) - CB/B-BC 6312
• BR A 11 \ Keyboard Sonata in F major (Wf XI:6) - CB/B-BC 6312
• BR A 12 \ Keyboard Sonata in A minor (Wf XI:7) - CB/B-BC 6312
• BR A 13 \ Keyboard Sonata in D major (Wf XI:8/1) - CB/B-BC 11307
• BR A 14 \ Keyboard Sonata in A major (Wf XI:8/2) - CB/B-BC 11307
• BR A 15 \ Keyboard Sonata in E major (Wf XI:8/3) - CB/B-BC 11307
• BR A 16 \ Keyboard Sonata in D major - UGRL
• BR A 17 \ Keyboard Sonata in A major - UGRL
• BR A 18 \ Keyboard Sonata in F major (Wf XI:9) - UGRL
• BR A 19 \ Keyboard Sonata in B-flat major - UGRL
• BR A 20 \ Keyboard Sonata in G major - UGRL
• BR A 21 \ Keyboard Sonata in E-flat major - UGRL
• BR A 26 \ Keyboard Sonata in E-flat major - UGRL
• BR A 27 \ Keyboard Sonata in F major - UGRL
• BR A 31 \ Keyboard Sonata in D major - HSL

*Prices are from Presto classical

Grand Total of surviving keyboard sonatas : 23

Abbrev.: UGRL-University Gotha Research Library
              CB-Conservatory of Brussels
              HSL-Hannover State Library
              GUL-Gottingen University Library
              MV-Musikalisches Vierlerley, READILY AVAILABLE IN GALLICA!
              B-BC 6312 - 98 pages - MUS D 77/1-4
              B-BC 11307,MUS D 73 - 16 pages

source:Bach Archiv Leipzig
As this is the first part of my project, collecting the complete keyboard sonatas by JCF. I will make a comparison by musical aspects and other characteristics with his brothers, JS, and his contemporaries after collecting them.
EDIT:
Bach Archiv is offering xeroxes for scanning from the sources with a fee of .50 euros per page, I will update the above list later. Considering the higher price of scanning than to buy the real book, I will turn to buy the books first, then scan the later missing ones.