The Sei concerti per il cembalo concertato were the outcome of a period of intensive work between 1770 and 1772, shortly after Carl Philipp Emanuel arrived in Hamburg. Introducing one of his most exciting recording ventures, Andreas Staier talks about the incredible diversity of these works, their unusual publication history and construction in a lucid and entertaining essay in the booklet.
" I am touched and delighted that Petra Müllejans and the Freiburger Barockorchester not only declared their willingness to go along with this extraordinary project, but also let my enthusiasm rub off on them. My hearty thanks to all involved!" Andreas Staier
“Dissonances crunch, melodies play for pathos: emotions are always volatile. It’s all on display in these six exuberant concertos, dispatched with mischief and decorative flair by Andreas Staier, the period keyboard specialist. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra supply full, even beefy, accompaniments.” The Times, 2nd April 2011 ****
“The mood is one of brisk bonhomie, with fast movements that motor merrily, and the merest dash of citrus in the elegant attitudes of the slow movements. Andreas Staier's performance is impeccably articulated, most particularly in the grand cadenza of the C minor Concerto, while the orchestral sound is bright and clean.” The Independent on Sunday, 3rd April 2011
“This is a hot CD, one of those releases where everything seems to have arrived together at the right time. Here is the world’s finest Baroque orchestra eagerly joining with one of the world’s best harpsichordists in concertos by a composer who right now seems to be winning new recognition as the giant musical personality he was...Staier's copy of a big Hass harpsichord...stands up to the superbly boisterous orchestra with ease. Marvellous stuff.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2011
“[Staier's] playing is, as ever, unimpeachable and he seems to use the resources of his astonishing harpsichord to the full, with some quite extraordinary timbres as well as stark contrasts between the manuals...The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra is very warm of tone here, with plenty of body to the string sound...an important and compelling release.” International Record Review, May 2011
Gramophone Awards 2011
Gramophone Magazine