Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and His Magnificat (Plymouth)

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the second son of the famous Johann Sebastian Bach, was a prolific composer in the eighteenth century. His first major choral work was a setting of the Latin Magnificat, based on Mary’s Song of Praise from the first chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel. It was written in 1749 and performed in Leipzig before his father’s death in 1750. Later, after becoming the music director in Hamburg, C.P.E. Bach revised his Magnificat and performed it in 1779. The Pilgrim Festival Chorus, celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, will perform the original version the first weekend of April.
This talk will give an overview of the life and music of C.P.E. Bach, focusing on his Magnificat, which is one of his best choral works. I will discuss the history of the Magnificat, the revisions the composer made, and what to listen for in the piece. The edition is based on the C.P.E Bach: The Complete Works, published by The Packard Humanities Institute. Fehlow Meeting Room.