Sonata for flute and basso continuo in E minor

Wilhelm Friedmann Bach (1710–1784) was the eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. A brilliant organist and improviser, his career was nonetheless marked by instability, and he died in poverty. He is nicknamed "the Halle Bach" after his last significant post.
Born in Weimar, Friedemann received a comprehensive musical education from his father, which is documented in the Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. He was educated at the prestigious St. Thomas School in Leipzig and studied law and mathematics at the University of Leipzig.
His professional life began with a successful appointment as organist at St. Sophia's Church in Dresden in 1733. In 1746, he moved to the more prestigious position of music director and organist at the Church of Our Lady in Halle, where he became known as "the Halle Bach".
After his father's death in 1750, Friedemann's life became increasingly difficult. He struggled with a contentious personality, conflicts with employers, and a general unwillingness to compose "fashionable, readily accessible music". In 1764, he left his job in Halle without securing another position and spent the next 20 years in a wandering life, supporting himself through teaching and occasional recitals.
W.F. Bach's music marks the transition between the Baroque style of his father and the expressive, emotionally charged Empfindsamer Stil (sensitive style) of the early Classical era.
His output includes numerous church cantatas, keyboard works (fantasias, polonaises, and fugues), concertos, and chamber music, notably his highly contrapuntal duets for two flutes.