Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Pièces de caractère Marcia Hadjimarkos, pianoforte and clavichord ZIG-ZAG TERRITOIRES ZZT 020301 [67.03] Grade: A-
C.P.E. Bach is to his father what a garage band is to a classic rock titan: a little rough around the edges but brimming with youthful spirit. Marcia Hadjimarkos navigates the chiaroscuro of these character pieces with the finesse of a barista crafting an artisanal latte—delicate yet defiantly strong. This recording captures a paradox; while it shimmers with the intelligence of the Enlightenment, it bounces like a pop song on a summer day, reminding us that classical music can have a pulse, not just a heartbeat.
Yet, don’t be fooled by the lightness; this is no frothy diversion. Each note drips with a sweetness reminiscent of a vintage candy shop, but don’t expect confectionery bliss. Like a well-crafted zinger from a lost episode of “The Office,” these pieces flit between whimsy and gravity, mirroring the joys and anxieties of 18th-century life. In Hadjimarkos’s capable hands, the clavichord and pianoforte morph into characters themselves—like an overbearing aunt and an unpredictably charming cousin—wrestling for the spotlight in a family drama we never knew we needed.
