The most famous of Bach's sons not only shows his innate talent for dramatic adaptation of the gospel scriptures, but you immediately recognize his musical writing talent. C.P.E.'s Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu for soloists, choir and orchestra, on text by Karl Wilhelm Ramler, does not follow the Baroque tradition of a story based on Biblical texts.
Assuming listeners already know the story, the text aptly conveys the emotions evoked by the events in the story. The richness of the musical language and forms, the subtlety of the details, and the dramatic depth of a work without plot show us the extent to which Carl Philipp Emanuel was a successful master of the subtle art of organization, while appearing to write with the greatest freedom.
C.P.E.'s Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu is the perfect example of the aesthetics of "feeling," of a modern and contrasting expressiveness, less stereotypical and also less obvious than compositions of the Baroque period. Therefore, the work is also seen as the symbolic transition from the baroque to the classical period.
discover Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu now on Spotify or get your own copy on Passacaille Records.
