Six Keyboard Sonatas, Op.17

Abstract

In general, the end of the Baroque period is symbolically connected by musicologists to 1750, the year when Bach died. It has also a symbolic value in that Bach's four composer-sons - Wilhelm Friedemann (1710-1784), Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788). Johann Christoph Friedrich (1732-1795) and Johann Chris¬tian (1735-1782) played an outstanding role in the preparation of the new style, the Viennese classicism. The four sons were four quite different personalities and they became separated from one another in a geographical sense, as well. The youngest of them, Johann Christian had the most active and, in his own era the most successful career. While his brothers were working in Germany through¬out their whole lives, he became a real cosmopolitan. When his father died, Johann Christian was only 15 years old therefore he continued his musical studies in Berlin at his half-brother. Carl Philipp Emanuel who had been the court harpsichordist of Frederick the Great. The young Johann Christian becomes an extraordinarily well-trained, virtuosic musician here, in Berlin, and what is more important: he gets accpiainted with the Italian opera-style and falls in a lifelong love with it. He travels to Italy at the first given chance where for a short time he becomes the pupil (just like later Mozart) of one of the most famous composer- professor of that age, Padre Martini. Later Johann Christian becomes converted to the Catholic faith and is appointed organist of the cathedral of Milan.