Carl Phillipp Emanuel Bach was arguably the most talented member of the enormous Bach family of musicians. A son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach, he survived his father by thirty-eight years. This places him in a transitional period between the late Baroque and early Classical periods. Despite his originality and adventurous "modern" style, he never forgot what his illustrious father had taught him.

For a time, Bach was chief harpsichordist to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (1712-1786). The King was a keen flutist and composer, whose flute master and official composer was J. J. Quantz. This Sonata, published in 1763, is among the compopser's finest works for flute.

The dignity and grace of the first movement (poco Adagio) displays the inspired craftsmanship found in J. S. Bach's own works for solo instruments, such as the violin Partitas and Sonatas. The embellishment of the melodic line is natural, and its elaborate development unforced; in places a competent player can give an impression of polyphony with two, or even three, interweaving voices.

The second movement (Allegro) has the energetic geniality of a movement from one of his father's English Suites, with a seasoning of wide leaps and swift modulations. The third movement (Allegro) is nearer to the virtuoso style of Quantz's flute Sonatas, with highly original touches.

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