My copy of The Cambridge Companion to Bach arrived in the mail Saturday. After doing some reading in very expensive books like Peter Walls’ Baroque Music ($259.47 and up) I scoured Amazon used books to see what I could afford that might update me a bit. Butt’s collection of essays was published in 1997. In his introduction, he points out that the field was exploding at that point and his goal as an editor was to present essays that brought readers up to date and pointed the way to future discussion. So when I found a used copy for about nine dollars I instantly ordered it.

This morning reading in it, I once again felt very lucky to be able to have daily intimate contact with the mind of Bach mostly via playing his music. Yesterday I also ventured into the works of CPE Bach, his son. I have played my way through three volumes of CPE that represent some solid editorial work. But I also have a more dated two volumes of his work in a Dover edition. Yesterday I was noticing that there were many pieces unique to the Dover edition. I have been playing through them as well.

CPE is, of course, much different than his Dad, but I enjoy reading his work as well. Tomorrow at the birthday party at the nursing home, my trio will play two movements by CPE of a violin sonata that is reminiscent of a little Brandenburg (at least it is to me). I will draw a picture for the listeners of J.S. Bach and his sons performing the multi harpsichord concertos with a Bach at each instrument in the coffee house of his day. it seems that this work by CPE is a deliberate nod to Dad. You can judge for yourself in the following video. We are only playing the first two movements. The slow one first then the first one. I like the tempo these people take for the first movement, but the slow movement is much much slower than we play it.