Sonata in A Minor

Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach’s Sonata in A Minor for solo flute was composed in 1747 and first published in the journal Musicalisches Mancherley 15 years later. It’s a remarkable work that invites direct comparison with the Partita for unaccompanied flute (BWV 1013) which his father Johann Sebastian Bach wrote around the early to mid 1720s. One obvious characteristic they share is the illusion that you are listening to music that is effectively conceived for two independent parts—you can hear this clearly in the deeply expressive and introverted opening “Poco adagio” movement where the flute’s resonant lower notes act like a virtual bassline. But there are also significant differences in the later work with its propensity for sudden and unpredictable changes of mood and direction. The two ensuing movements, both marked “Allegro”, provide a striking contrast, being sprightly and dance-like in character with plenty of brilliant passagework to spotlight the performer’s technique.