C.P.E. Bach: Complete Keyboard Concertos Vol 17 / Spanyi, Mattson, Opus X

Miklós Spányi is still cranking out C.P.E. Bach recordings, and he's lucky in having a label as loyal and dedicated as BIS. This is Volume 17 out of, I don't know, a billion or so, and like the other discs in this series it's pretty terrific. Spányi uses a harpsichord in the F major concerto and a tangent piano in the other two works. His playing is consistently stylish, full of life, lyrical and virtuosic by turns. And let's not forget: Emanuel Bach was a very, very good composer. The music is consistently interesting and characterful, from the colorful horn writing in the F major concerto to the surprising harmonic twists and turns in the C minor (C.P.E. in minor keys is always special). Toss in pellucid engineering and excellent accompaniments from the intrepid members of Opus X Ensemble, and the result is a joy. Really, you can dip into this series anywhere and be rewarded with excellent, unfamiliar music. Why not start here?

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com