Bach and the Clavichord

J.S. Bach Partita No. 5 in G major, BWV 829
C.P.E. Bach Fantasy in F-sharp minor, H.300
C.P.E. Bach Sonata in C Major, Wq 55/1
J.S. Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903

In this programme, Pablo Devigo presents a compelling exploration of the Bach family’s profound relationship with the clavichord. Both Johann Sebastian Bach and his son Carl Philipp Emanuel considered this intimate keyboard instrument essential for developing refined touch and musical expression. The clavichord’s ability to produce subtle dynamic variations through finger pressure (bebung) and its capacity for immediate artistic response made it particularly suited to the emotional depth and technical intricacy of their compositions.

The program opens with J.S. Bach’s majestic Partita No. 5 in G major, a work that demonstrates Bach’s synthesis of French and Italian styles within the German keyboard tradition. This is followed by two works by C.P.E. Bach that epitomize his revolutionary “sensitive style” (empfindsamer Stil): the rhetorically powerful Fantasy in F-sharp minor and the forward-looking Sonata in C Major. The program concludes with J.S. Bach’s monumental Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, a work that represents the pinnacle of Baroque keyboard virtuosity and expressive power.

Through these masterworks, Devigo illuminates how both father and son utilized the clavichord’s unique capabilities to create music of extraordinary depth and sophistication, demonstrating why this instrument held such a special place in their musical lives and teaching practices.

Pablo Devigo is a conductor and historical keyboardist specializing in period performance practice from Galicia (Spain). As Artistic Director of Música d’Outrora, he explores innovative approaches to 17th-century repertoire. The ensemble is releasing their debut album Still Life in 2025 with Deux-Elles. He has served as Guest Conductor with the Real Filharmonía de Galicia (Spain) and assisted orchestras throughout Europe and the United States. A Fulbright Scholar (2015-2017) and doctoral candidate at Indiana University (USA) researching Spanish baroque theater music, Devigo holds degrees from the Royal Academy of Music (London) and Royal Conservatoire The Hague (The Netherlands). He was a Conducting Fellow at the 2018 Aspen Music Festival and finalist at the 2021 Khachaturian Conducting Competition. His artistry in historical performance has been shaped through training under specialists Fabio Bonizzoni, Patrick Ayrton, Carole Cerasi, and James Johnston.