Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra
| Company type | Chamber orchestra |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 in Berlin, Germany |
| Founder | Jean Kurt Forest |
| Defunct | May 1, 2014 |
| Headquarters | Berlin , Germany |
Key people | Hartmut Haenchen (artistic director from 1980) |
| Products | Concert performances, recordings (62 CDs and DVDs) |
The Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra (in German: Kammerorchester Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach) was a German chamber orchestra established in Berlin in 1969, devoted to performing the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach alongside those of his contemporaries.
History
Founded in 1969 by composer Jean Kurt Forest with backing from Staatsoper general manager Hans Pischner, the group initially concentrated on modern compositions, featuring musicians drawn from the Staatskapelle Berlin. Subsequently, Dieter-Gerhard Worm took over the role of artistic director from Forest.
In 1980, following collaboration with and the appointment of Hartmut Haenchen as artistic director, the orchestra redirected its focus toward early classical music, emphasizing pieces by its namesake and his peers. This transition was influenced by East German government restrictions on contemporary programming. The ensemble embraced a mission to revive Berlin’s musical legacy, adopting Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, who served as court harpsichordist to Friedrich the Great, as its patron figure.
During the 1980s, the repertoire of C.P.E. Bach had fallen into obscurity. The orchestra’s prolific recordings—many being world premieres—earned numerous accolades and positioned it as a model of excellence and stylistic authenticity within Berlin’s music community. Its international tours included visits to Japan, Italy, Austria (notably at the Salzburg Festival and Vienna Musikwochen), the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Switzerland. Domestically, it performed at prominent German festivals such as Brandenburgischer Musiksommer, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Mozartfest Würzburg, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Schwetzinger Festspiele, and Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The orchestra collaborated with distinguished soloists including Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Deborah Polaski, Sviatoslav Richter, Christine Schäfer, and Frank Peter Zimmermann, as well as singer-conductor Peter Schreier. Its artistic accomplishments are preserved through television productions, radio broadcasts, and an extensive catalog of 62 CDs and DVDs.
Expanding its repertoire beyond Baroque and Classical eras into Romantic and contemporary classics, the ensemble featured composers such as Richard Strauss, Dmitri Shostakovich, Schubert, Mozart, and especially Joseph Haydn. Under Haenchen’s guidance, the orchestra consisted of 25 musicians selected from Berlin’s foremost orchestras. Since 1984, it maintained a concert series presenting five annual performances at both the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie and the Great Hall of the Berlin Konzerthaus. This series frequently showcased rediscovered compositions from the Berlin-Brandenburg tradition. Despite facing financial difficulties without public subsidies, the series sustained itself economically because all participating artists contributed their services without remuneration.
In 2014, after 45 years of activity and a 34-year collaboration with Haenchen, the chamber orchestra ceased operations on 1 May, concluding its concert engagements.
The style of the chamber orchestra
Under Hartmut Haenchen’s artistic leadership, the ensemble developed interpretations characterized by detailed musico-structural understanding combined with technical mastery. Although performing on modern instruments, they adhered closely to principles of historical performance practice, producing vibrant and compelling renditions deeply anchored in the musical text rather than relying on superficial historically inspired effects. Their concerts and recordings are noted for their alertness, agility, nuanced tempo variations, precise interpretative insight, balanced tonal space, and controlled emotional expression. Haenchen drew upon more than 200 theoretical treatises dating from the 16th to 18th centuries—not to recreate an “authentic” performance style—which is considered unattainable today—but to craft stylistically informed interpretations that engage modern listeners effectively.
Discography
Presented in chronological order; catalogue identifiers correspond to initial CD releases
- Recordings conducted by Hartmut Haenchen
- Peter Damm performing early classical horn concertos, 1981, BERLIN Classics 0032102BC
- Symphonies and flute concertos by Friedrich II featuring Manfred Friedrich, 1982, CAPRICCIO 10064, honored as record of the month
- Oboe concertos by Mozart, Ferlendis, and Rößler with Burkhard Glätzner, 1984, CAPRICCIO 10 087
- Berlin Symphonies by C.Ph.E. Bach, 1985, CAPRICCIO 10103, recipient of the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis
- Flute concertos by C.Ph.E. Bach with Eckart Haupt, 1985, CAPRICCIO 10104/10105, awarded the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis
- Organ concertos by C.Ph.E. Bach featuring Roland Münch, 1985, CAPRICCIO 10135, winner of the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis
- String symphonies Wq 182 by C.Ph.E. Bach, 1985, CAPRICCIO 51 033, honored with the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis
- Four orchestral symphonies by C.Ph.E. Bach, 1986, CAPRICCIO 10175; recognized as one of the top 50 recordings of the twentieth century by Scala magazine
- Mozart flute concertos performed by Werner Tast, 1987, ETERNA 7 28 022CD
- Händel arias featuring Jochen Kowalski, 1987, ETERNA 3 29 099; recipient of the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis
- Haydn symphonies nos. 26, 44 & 49, released in 1988 on BERLIN Classics 1013-2; named CD of the year in 1993 by AVRO's Platenzaak
- Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice (1988), CAPRICCIO 60008-2; awarded the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis and nominated for the Gramophone Award
- Magnificat and two Berlin Symphonies by C.Ph.E. Bach with distinguished soloists, issued in 1988 on BERLIN Classics 0110 011
- Haydn symphonies nos. 43,45 &59; nos.31,73 &82; nos.48,53 &85 released from late '80s through early '90s on BERLIN Classics
- Mozart's Sinfonia concertante KV297b and flute/harp concerto with Werner Tast and Katharina Hanstedt in 1990 on BERLIN Classics
- Weber Symphony no.1 alongside compositions by Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Wolf, and Wagner; Sony Classical SK53109 (1991)
- Prussian court concert featuring prominent soloists and Christine Schornsheim (1991), BERLIN Classics
- Haydn symphonies nos.94,103 &60 (1991), BERLIN Classics
- Diverse repertoire including C.Ph.E. Bach’s symphony in D major, Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no.3, Britten's Simple Symphony and Händel’s Water Music Suite no.2 (1991), Sony Classical SK4806
- Pergolesi's Stabat mater with Dennis Naseband and Jochen Kowalski (1992), BERLIN Classics BC1047-2
- Arrangements of Mahler string quartets including Beethoven op.95 and Schubert D810 "Death and the Maiden" (1992), BERLIN Classics
- Italian and German Christmas repertoire (1992), Sony Classical S2K53266
- Water Music compositions by Händel and Telemann (1992), BERLIN Classics
- Mozart concert arias performed by Christiane Oelze (1993), BERLIN Classics; honored with the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis
- Haydn symphonies nos.22,55 &64 (1993), BERLIN Classics
- Orchestral works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1993), BERLIN Classics
- Locatelli Concerti grossi Op.7 (1994), BERLIN Classics
- J.S. Bach cantatas featuring Jochen Kowalski and Raphael Alpermann (1994), BERLIN Classics
- DVD release of C.Ph.E. Bach's "Die letzten Leiden des Erlösers" starring Christine Schäfer et al., EuroArts (2014)
- Johann Christian Bach’s symphony in G minor op.6 no.6; Mozart’s symphony no.40 KV550 (first version); Schubert’s symphony no.5 B flat major (1995), SONY Classical SMK93831
- Eighteenth-century cello concertos by C.Ph.E.Bach, Nicola Porpora & Haydn with Jens Peter Maintz (1996), PHILIPS
- Heinichen's "La Gara degli Dei" featuring Alexandra Coku et al., Berlin Classics (2003)
- Classical violin concertos composed by W.A.Mozart, M.Haydn and F.Schubert performed by Baiba Skride (2004), Sony Classical
- Mozart divertimento KV113 along with piano concerto in D minor and symphony no.41 Jupiter DVD EuroArts (2005)
- DVD titled Mozart Discovering Masterpieces: Jupiter Symphony EuroArts (2006)
- Mozart Symphonies nos.39-41 released in 2014 on BERLIN Classics
- Recordings conducted by Peter Schreier
- J.S.Bach orchestral suites and Brandenburg concertos recorded in 1986; Magnificat in 1987; Masses released in 1989 under PHILIPS label
- J.S.Bach cantatas featuring Barbara Hendricks recorded in 1990 for EMI
- Mozart operas “La finta semplice” & “L’oca del Cairo” released in 1991 through PHILIPS
- Early classical flute concertos performed with Patrick Gallois recorded in 1992 for Deutsche Grammophon
Books
- Hartmut Haenchen, Werktreue und Interpretation, Pfau-Verlag Saarbrücken 2013, second edition 2015, Volume 1 , Volume 2 , available as a boxed collection
External links
- Official website of the Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra
- Orchestra promotional flyer
- Website of Artistic Director Hartmut Haenchen
- Article covering the farewell symphony by the Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra
- Tagesspiegel article on the Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach tribute concert
- Interview featuring Hartmut Haenchen