CPE Bach was a chamber musician at the court of Frederick the Great for nearly three decades. He was also one of the greatest keyboard players in Europe. His compositional mastery is exemplified by the six ‘Prussian’ Sonatas of 1742, works of great expression and stylistic interest. His desire to explore ‘musical speech’ was accompanied by bold contrasts, tremendous dynamism, and acute sensitivity for the shaping of slow movements. These reveal his inventive, forward-thinking harmonies that both acknowledge the past but also strike out in vivid new directions.