Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Though currently overshadowed by the astonishing output of his father, Johann Sebastian Bach, C.P.E Bach was much more influential in his day, introducing new ways of thinking about composition and performance technique. His development of the Sonata Symphony form influenced the way that composers would begin to think about developing a theme. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms were among his followers, and his music, though rooted in the Baroque and Classical eras, had emotional elements and sonic oddities that served as a preface to the Romantic style of the second half of the nineteenth century. Bach's exacting attention to detail led to a more focused role for the composer -- an influence which is felt to this day.