Mozart readily admitted the debt he owed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), the second son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach. Said Mozart: ?He is the father of us all, and we are his children. ? Haydn, too, recognized the younger Bach ?s genius and spent his early years striving to grasp the master ?s keyboard form and technique. Structurally, C.P.E. Bach ?s revolutionary compositions bridged the gap between the contrapuntal emphasis of Johann Sebastian Bach and the vital, inventive artistry of Haydn. Over 50 of C.P.E. Bach ?s finest sonatas have been reproduced from an authoritative French edition for this handsome, two-volume set. Highly original, rich in harmony and lovely thematic material, the sonatas are further distinguished by delicacy of workmanship and a gracious formality. In this edition, the sonatas have been arranged in a new sequence ? generally according to the year of composition. Volume 1 contains 26 sonatas composed between 1731 and 1751, including the ?Prussian ? and ?Wurttemberg ? sonatas. Volume 2 contains 25 sonatas from the composer ?s mature period, written between 1752 and 1784. Also included are the W numbers assigned to the sonatas in the standard work by Alfred Wotquenne. Interestingly enough, C.P.E. Bach disliked counterpoint and found the compositions of his celebrated father ?dry. ? His own music, however, has long been admired by pianists and music lovers for its taste, refinement, melodic beauty and expression. Now those qualities can be enjoyed and studied in this treasury of complete, authoritative scores gathered together in one convenient source. Sturdily bound, with large clear notation, this inexpensive edition deserves a place in the library of every serious keyboard artist. - Back cover.