The sonatas for flute and continuo by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach date mostly from early in the composer's career. A few of them carry hints of the Sturm und Drang intensity that would become Bach's chief claim to fame, but many are light, galant works with a certain meditative quality. The flutes played on this recording by veteran Dutch historical-instrument specialist
Barthold Kuijken, replicas of instruments from the middle of the eighteenth century, are ideal for the music, with a gentle, woody sound that emphasizes the courtly intimacy of the music. The simple continuo realization, with harpsichord (or fortepiano) only, also keeps the dimensions restricted and the focus on the imaginative little turns of the flute lines.
Kuijken's easy familiarity with this music is reflected in his delightful booklet notes, which succeed in their application of the technique of explaining the composer's feelings in the terminology of our own time. These are little gems of the flute repertoire, light as can be but entirely fresh, in performances that capture the gossamer, desultory mood of the early Classic period like few others have. Superbly recorded and generously illustrated with artwork of the period that depicted musical performances, this disc transports the listener to the Prussian courts of Bach's time.