Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788), the second son of Johann Sebastian Bach, was one of the most influential and prolific composers of the eighteenth century. His oeuvre encompassed virtually every musical genre of the time, except opera, and enjoyed a high reputation and wide distribution well beyond the composer’s lifetime. The recovery in 1999 of the archives of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, which include many unique copies of Bach’s Hamburg Passions and cantatas once thought to have been lost during the Second World War, has made it possible to present for the first time the complete works of this important composer.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: The Complete Works (CPEB:CW) is an editorial and publishing project of the Packard Humanities Institute, in cooperation with the Bach-Archiv Leipzig, the Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, and Harvard University. Its goal is to make available, in both printed and digital formats, a critical edition of the composer’s works.

CPEB:CW is a “living” edition. As new information or material relevant to the edition becomes available, we will report it. Substantive errors in the music or text of any volume will be reported (see Contents for individual volumes on Organization page) and corrected in the online, digital edition. Any inquiries regarding errors may be directed to our editorial office (see below). Performing parts for chamber, orchestral, and choral volumes can be downloaded here.

GENERAL PREFACE

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