Originally written in C minor for harpsichord under the title "Solfeggio", this seductive virtuoso piece is probably the best known by Carl Philip Emanuel Bach. Its writing is unusual for a keyboard piece because almost entirely monophonic, a long melodic line unfolding from low to high in one and ample gush.

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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach is the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach and his first wife Maria Barbara Bach.

For almost thirty years, he was harpsichordist at the court of Frederick the Great, then Director Musices in Hamburg. He was nicknamed the “Bach of Berlin” or the “Bach of Hamburg”.

Considered a role model by many musicians of the second half of the 18th century, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was admired by Joseph Haydn (who studied his keyboard works in particular), Mozart (who conducted his oratorio Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu: “The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus” in Vienna in 1788) and Beethoven, who repeatedly asked the publisher Breitkopf to send him works by Carl Philipp Emanuel.

His theoretical treatise “Essai sur la véritable manière de jouer les instruments à clavier”, in two volumes, the first published in 1753, the second in 1762, is probably the most important practical treatise on music written in the 18th century. It is a standard guide to fingering, ornamentation, interpretation, accompaniment and improvisation. By 1780, it had already reached its third edition. It served as the basis for the methods of Muzio Clementi and Cramer.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach is the only son of Johann Sebastian Bach to have had a perfectly successful career: his music was widely disseminated during his lifetime, and he was a wealthy and highly regarded master with an extraordinarily abundant output. He was nicknamed the “Bach of Berlin” or the “Bach of Hamburg”.

Along his university studies (DEA in musicology, University of Paris IV-Sorbonne), Frédéric Cellier was awarded three first prizes and a development prize at the CNR of Nice and won first prize at the International Competition of Musical Execution - soloist category – of Stresa (Italy).
He is the laureate of the Fondation de France and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and accredited teacher at the CNR of Nice, the CNR of Marseille, and at the CRR Olivier Messiaen of Avignon (France).
Frédéric Cellier is the interpreter of Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for clarinet Bb and piano with Jean-Michel Damase, Jean Françaix or Gabriel Tacchino, but also performs his own version for clarinet, piano and string orchestra of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in blue for Wynton Marsalis or under the baton of Adrian Gershwin, grandson of the composer.
Founder and artistic director of STRADIVARIUS Editions, he is the author of pieces of light music and a considerable number of arrangements in all styles and for all instruments acclaimed by numerous personalities in the music world:

"Frédéric Cellier has produced a number of adaptations of Georges Auric's works with such talent and precision that I consider them a natural addition to his chamber music catalogue."
Michèle AURIC - Georges Auric's widow

"To Frédéric Cellier, excellent musician and tireless arranger."
Jean FRANÇAIX - Composer and pianist

"Arranging a musical work is always a delicate and risky exercise, because it requires both modifying it so that it can be played by the desired instruments and preserving its very essence. But that is exactly what Frédéric Cellier has done, preserving the nuances, subtleties and soul of the original works while breathing new life into them.
His arrangements give all the musicians the chance to perform these compositions specially revisited for their instrument, and make music lovers rediscover them in a new light."
Adrian GERSHWIN - George Gershwin’s grandson

"Congratulations for your beautiful new orchestration and rendition of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in blue."
Wynton MARSALIS - Trumpet player, composer, bandleader, general and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York

"It is outstanding that Frédéric Cellier has managed to transpose Saxophone Marmalade from the saxophone to the clarinet. I thank him for it and wish its great and deserved success. "
Manuel ROSENTHAL - Conductor, composer and Maurice Ravel’s pupil

"I am very happy to tell you how much I appreciated your transcription of the Capriccio, based on Francis Poulenc's Le Bal Masqué. It perfectly reflects the spirit and verve of the score for two pianos that I had the opportunity to play and record with Jacques Février, and it was a great pleasure for me to premiere it in Montpellier."
Gabriel TACCHINO - Pianist, Francis Poulenc’s specialist

"I must tell you that I really like your transcriptions and that I think the tone of the instruments you have chosen suits perfectly our beloved composer."
Ornella VOLTA - Musicologist, president of the Erik Satie’s Foundation