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.

LESSEL - Piano Concerto in C major op.14

INSIGHTS & DETAILS

        Let me introduce the composer, Franz Lessel, was born in 1780 into a musical family. He was the son of well-known composer Vincent Lessel. He received his first musical lessons from his father. He intended to study medicine in Vienna but completed a course in civil engineering. At the same time, he studied music with Joseph Haydn, whom considered him as his favourite pupil and successor. During his ten-year-stay at Vienna, Lessel composed a great deal of works, including the three Sonatas op.2, dedicated to Haydn. After Haydn's death, he returned to Poland and died there in 1838. He did not cease to compose after he returned to Poland although most of his masterpieces were composed in Vienna, the most fertile period of his life. Currently, only a few works in extant had been found and were published by Artaria and Breitkopf & Hartel.

        The Piano Concerto in C major op.14 is the most important known work by Lessel. Probably composed towards the end of his Viennese period and during the first few years following his return to Poland. It offers a magnificent example of blend between the classical style of Beethoven's time and the budding romantic movement. This new romantic style may be found chiefly in the concerto's third movement (most favourite of mine)which is written in the ternary rhythm used twenty years later by Chopin. This concerto also provides proof of Lessel's very considerable creative gifts. Highly beautiful themes, technical and harmonic discoveries of the greatest interest are found. The current decent version, reconstituted for the instrumentation by well-known Polish composer Casimir Sikorski is published by PWM (well-known Polish music publisher)

       Lets make no hesitation to get an insight view of this wonderful piece:

1st movement Allegro brillante

In quadruple time, this piece starts with a tuning melody played by the first violins, the string instruments started the first call of the movement...

It continues when the wind instruments arise (oboes, bassoons and horns)

Prime motive when the melody ends

The supporting violins for the motive

Second melody starts

The second melody fiddled by the first violins again

The prime motive is heard again..

The piano sounds ..

Imitating the first melody of the violins (regarded as prime melody) with minor variations

A minor key blast off by the piano, bringing the piece towards a different mood..

A melody appeared after a long cadenza, which only found in the solo piano part..

con simplicita = playing the melody as simple as possible

Rapid passages...prime motive followed by orchestra

violins imitating the third melody..

Transitional part played by solo piano. Aware of the beauty of flowing sextuplets in the left hand...

A part that I found special especially in the right hand, some Bachian style writing with a strong backup by the left hand.

The opening of the song is heard again

Solo piano playing first melody quickly followed by the third..

No surprise onwards, just a repetition of the first part

Typical Mozartian ending the movement (actually classical ending)

OVERALL COMMENT of the movt.

Melodious movement I can say, some virtuosic passages found in the solo piano part and that's a sign of budding romantic elements (which never can be found in Mozart's PCs). Lack of cadenza compared to most classical concertos.

Opening is melodious (not as grandeur as Beethoven), transitions between melodic elements are rather smooth. 

THIS SCORE IS INTENDED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE. PLEASE RESPECT 

EXISTING COPYRIGHTS.

2nd movement Adagio

In the realms of oblivion - The Classical Period

       The Classical Period, as stated in Wiki, are generally accepted as being between about 1730 and 1820, ranging about 90 years, often regarded as a bridging gap between the Baroque and Romantic periods. 
Often mentioned in the piano world, names such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven had dominated over 20 years, their works remained or a must be included in almost every repertoire nowadays. Over a thousand of recordings of the "3" sonatas, piano concertos made a laid-out point for every rising pianist. Such dominance, as what I called, overpowering has made lots of classical sonatas fell out of the pedagogical world. For example, friend and pupil of Mozart, Anton Eberl wrote magnificent piano sonatas that will overrate his teacher's works in terms of technique and complexity. Ferdinand Ries, friend and pupil of L.V.Beethoven, wrote 14 piano sonatas which unearthed these few years, showed a similarity in style of Beethoven. These 2 composers, whom overshadowed by the dominance of Mozart-Beethoven, fell into oblivion that simply wiped out off a pianist's mind. Someone even classified some Eberl's piano sonatas as Mozart's because of his overpopularity. Franciszek Lessel, in the other hand, pupil of Haydn, composed an elegant Grand Concert op.14 in C major which now been played frequently because of its rising popularity (This piece will be mentioned in the later posts). Stylistically classical, a masterpiece from a Polish composer suffered the same fate decades ago. Franz Schubert, classified as a transitional composer, had only 3 piano sonatas published during his lifetime (due to the declining trend of piano sonatas at that period and somehow overshadowed by Beethoven's last sonatas) is getting an uprising trend today in the piano world. His 20-odd sonatas are being frequently played and published in many editions (standard repertoire in exam as well as concerts). There is no luck to Eberl and Ries for a decent edition of their complete piano sonatas ALTHOUGH their sonatas are all published during their lifetime. As a rival of Mozart (legendary), Leopold Kozeluch wrote 50-odd piano sonatas which also suffered the fate of being forgotten. Thanks to Hogwood and a group of scholars who revived his music nowadays, a decent Urtext edition is being published by Barenreiter. The problem is there is simply no pianist dare to include these sonatas to their recordings (2 cds of sonatas has been recorded). Regarding piano concertos, only 5 out of 20 has been recorded so far. This is such an injustification to a classical master whom fame spread across Europe that time. Naxos is now issuing more classical period music than ever. A complete piano concertos and sonatas for Ferdinand Ries has been recorded.  I am now obtaining copies of music of forgotten classical composers and will make reviews on every single piece. I will focus more on piano works and works for piano and orchestra.