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1759 C.P.E. Bach in E minor

1759	C.P.E. Bach		Symphony in E minor (Wq178)
Instrumentation		Strings, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns
Movements		I: Allegro assai (e) – II: Andante moderato (G) III: Allegro (e)
Overview		C.P.E. Bach is one of the composers associated with the Empfindsamer Stil or ‘senstive style’. The emphasis is on provoking emotion, often through dramatic contrasts and unexpected chromatic turns. Look at a score of this work
Essay Points
A) Overall form		Unusually for early symphonists, Bach runs his movements one into the next. At the end of the first movement, having arrived back at the opening E minor, Bach finishes by cutting again to very quiet material that moves onto the dominant of G major as a preparation for an attacca start to the second movement.
B) 1^st mov. / sonata		The first movement is in a more old-fashioned Ritornello form (the Baroque equivalent of a rondo) with the opening unison passage coming back in various keys throughout the movement. What is more unexpected are the constant sudden changes and contrasts of texture, tonality etc. Listen to the opening (Booklet Extract):
G) Harmony/Tonality		As can be seen in the first few pages of the score the music is full of surprises, with diminished seventh chords suddenly interrupting the harmonic flow and rapid changes to unexpected keys.
H) Drama / progr.		This style of music is not narrative in a literal sense but it is characterised by sudden changes of harmony, texture and dynamics. In addition the energetic semiquavers and chromatic harmony adds to a sense of dramatic emotional volatility.