Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Discover Christoph Schaffrath’s 12 Soli per il Cembalo, elegant keyboard works poised between Baroque refinement and early Classical grace. Performed by Marius Bartoccini on harpsichord and clavichord, this Brilliant Classics recording reveals the expressive charm of a composer who helped shape the path toward C.P.E. Bach and Haydn.
Composer: Christoph Schaffrath
Artist: Marius Bartoccini (harpsichord & clavichord)
💎 🎵 Purchase, stream or download (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Presto): brilliant-classics.lnk.to/SchaffrathXIISoliID
🎬🎮 These tracks are available for sync licensing in videos, films, TV shows, games, advertising, and more. For licensing inquiries: info@brilliantclassicslicensing.com
Christoph Schaffrath (1709–1763) was a German composer, harpsichordist, and organist active during the transition from the late Baroque to the early Classical period. Born in Hohnstein near Dresden, he studied at the University of Leipzig and later competed for the position of organist at the Sophienkirche in Dresden, though he lost to Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. Despite this setback, Schaffrath went on to build a solid career in Berlin, serving first as harpsichordist to Crown Prince Frederick (later Frederick the Great) and later as court musician to Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia. His role in these circles placed him in the heart of the north German Empfindsamer Stil, a style characterized by expressive melodies, sudden contrasts, and sensitivity to affect.
Among Schaffrath’s surviving works, the 12 Soli per il Cembalo hold a special place. This collection, composed for solo harpsichord, shows his ability to merge Baroque contrapuntal traditions with the emerging galant idiom. Each of the twelve pieces demonstrates clarity of texture, graceful melodic invention, and a keen sense of ornamentation appropriate for the keyboard. Unlike the dense polyphony of J.S. Bach, Schaffrath’s Soli often feature a singing upper line supported by transparent accompaniment, making them more accessible to performers and audiences of his time.
The sonatas show Schaffrath’s sensitivity to the harpsichord’s timbre and expressive limits, favoring elegance over virtuosic display. Today, the 12 Soli per il Cembalo offer valuable insight into mid-18th-century keyboard practice and exemplify the stylistic currents that paved the way for Haydn, C.P.E. Bach, and Mozart.
Played by Marius Bartoccini, a keyboard player who performed as a soloist with Sigiswald Kuijken and Federico Maria Sardelli. On this recording he plays an harpsichord and clavichord. He recorded to great critical acclaim for Brilliant Classics works by Dussek, Myslivecek and Kozeluch.
Tracklist:
Sonata No. 1 in C Major:
0:00:00 I. [Without Tempo Indication]
0:04:49 II. Poco andante
0:09:58 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 2 in A Minor:
0:16:47 I. [Without Tempo Indication]
0:22:19 II. Poco andante
0:26:19 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 3 in G Major:
0:31:11 I. Allegro
0:37:02 II. Poco adagio
0:41:57 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 4 in E Minor:
0:45:20 I. Allegro assai
0:52:30 II. Poco adagio
0:56:49 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 5 in D Major:
1:00:34 I. Allegro
1:05:11 II. Andante
1:10:25 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 6 in B Minor:
1:15:41 I. Allegro
1:21:03 II. Poco adagio
1:26:24 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 7 in A Major:
1:30:39 I. Allegretto
1:38:39 II. Poco andante
1:43:16 III. Allegro assai (With Completion by M. Bartoccini from 2’12)
Sonata No. 9 in B-Flat Major:
1:46:34 I. Allegro
1:51:38 II. Adagio
1:56:05 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 12 D Minor:
2:00:33 I. Allegro
2:06:19 II. Poco adagio
2:10:48 III. Allegro assai
📲 Follow us on Social media: @BrilliantClassics
#Schaffrath #SoliPerIlCembalo #Harpsichord #Clavichord #Sonata #ClassicalMusic #BrilliantClassics
Discover Christoph Schaffrath’s 12 Soli per il Cembalo, elegant keyboard works poised between Baroque refinement and early Classical grace. Performed by Marius Bartoccini on harpsichord and clavichord, this Brilliant Classics recording reveals the expressive charm of a composer who helped shape the path toward C.P.E. Bach and Haydn.
Composer: Christoph Schaffrath
Artist: Marius Bartoccini (harpsichord & clavichord)
💎 🎵 Purchase, stream or download (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Presto): brilliant-classics.lnk.to/SchaffrathXIISoliID
🎬🎮 These tracks are available for sync licensing in videos, films, TV shows, games, advertising, and more. For licensing inquiries: info@brilliantclassicslicensing.com
Christoph Schaffrath (1709–1763) was a German composer, harpsichordist, and organist active during the transition from the late Baroque to the early Classical period. Born in Hohnstein near Dresden, he studied at the University of Leipzig and later competed for the position of organist at the Sophienkirche in Dresden, though he lost to Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. Despite this setback, Schaffrath went on to build a solid career in Berlin, serving first as harpsichordist to Crown Prince Frederick (later Frederick the Great) and later as court musician to Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia. His role in these circles placed him in the heart of the north German Empfindsamer Stil, a style characterized by expressive melodies, sudden contrasts, and sensitivity to affect.
Among Schaffrath’s surviving works, the 12 Soli per il Cembalo hold a special place. This collection, composed for solo harpsichord, shows his ability to merge Baroque contrapuntal traditions with the emerging galant idiom. Each of the twelve pieces demonstrates clarity of texture, graceful melodic invention, and a keen sense of ornamentation appropriate for the keyboard. Unlike the dense polyphony of J.S. Bach, Schaffrath’s Soli often feature a singing upper line supported by transparent accompaniment, making them more accessible to performers and audiences of his time.
The sonatas show Schaffrath’s sensitivity to the harpsichord’s timbre and expressive limits, favoring elegance over virtuosic display. Today, the 12 Soli per il Cembalo offer valuable insight into mid-18th-century keyboard practice and exemplify the stylistic currents that paved the way for Haydn, C.P.E. Bach, and Mozart.
Played by Marius Bartoccini, a keyboard player who performed as a soloist with Sigiswald Kuijken and Federico Maria Sardelli. On this recording he plays an harpsichord and clavichord. He recorded to great critical acclaim for Brilliant Classics works by Dussek, Myslivecek and Kozeluch.
Tracklist:
Sonata No. 1 in C Major:
0:00:00 I. [Without Tempo Indication]
0:04:49 II. Poco andante
0:09:58 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 2 in A Minor:
0:16:47 I. [Without Tempo Indication]
0:22:19 II. Poco andante
0:26:19 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 3 in G Major:
0:31:11 I. Allegro
0:37:02 II. Poco adagio
0:41:57 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 4 in E Minor:
0:45:20 I. Allegro assai
0:52:30 II. Poco adagio
0:56:49 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 5 in D Major:
1:00:34 I. Allegro
1:05:11 II. Andante
1:10:25 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 6 in B Minor:
1:15:41 I. Allegro
1:21:03 II. Poco adagio
1:26:24 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 7 in A Major:
1:30:39 I. Allegretto
1:38:39 II. Poco andante
1:43:16 III. Allegro assai (With Completion by M. Bartoccini from 2’12)
Sonata No. 9 in B-Flat Major:
1:46:34 I. Allegro
1:51:38 II. Adagio
1:56:05 III. Allegro
Sonata No. 12 D Minor:
2:00:33 I. Allegro
2:06:19 II. Poco adagio
2:10:48 III. Allegro assai
📲 Follow us on Social media: @BrilliantClassics
#Schaffrath #SoliPerIlCembalo #Harpsichord #Clavichord #Sonata #ClassicalMusic #BrilliantClassics
