Baroque

[Antnee]

I know there are many so...

I'm interested in some other baroque composers besides Bach and Scarlatti... Like Rameau or someone like that...
What are some baroque composers and some of their gems?

-Tony-

[JK]

There are some really beautiful pieces by Couperin, but I'm afraid I can't offer any names!

[faulty_damper]

Rameau, Gavotte from the New Suite Pieces.  I love this piece.  It's a theme and variations on a theme (redundancy).  Each variation seems to pick up on tempo and it gets very exciting as it progresses.  It's almost 9 minutes in length, just to note it's length.  But it's music that makes you smarter (bullshit).  

Chocolat (addicting),
fD in Sf.

[Hmoll]

Handel has some great music, and is hardly ever played.

[thracozaag]

I know there are many so...

I'm interested in some other baroque composers besides Bach and Scarlatti... Like Rameau or someone like that...
What are some baroque composers and some of their gems?

-Tony-

 If you like Scarlatti, try Soler.  As Hmoll mentioned, Handel wrote some wonderful suites, which I believe, have been recently recorded by Perahia.

koji

[bernhard]

What are some baroque composers and some of their gems?

John Alcock (1715 – 1806) – Check his “Suites of easy lessons”. These are sets of two voice pieces with three or four movements each. In spite of the title ,they are quite difficult because of the heavy ornamentation. If you want to learn about baroque ornamentation this is a good start (ABRSM has an edition of these suites with realised ornaments).

Jean Henri D’Anglebert (1628 – 1691) – Christopher Rousset has recorded all of D’Anglebert’s “Pieces du Clavecin” on the harpsichord. Take your pick.

Thomas Arne (1710 – 1778) – Try his “Eight sonatas” which are especially good if you do not like Baroque music.

John Blow (1648 – 1708) – Try “The Musick’s handmaid” (second part), a collection of 35 easy pieces by both Blow and Purcell, and meant to be played on a variety of baroque keyboard instruments (clavichords, virginals, harpsichords). Again excellent learning resource for baroque ornamentation.

George Bohm (1661 – 1733) – Bohm composed 11 keyboard suites that are easier than Bach’s French and English suites but equally interesting.

Thomas Chilcot (1700 – 1766) – Six suites for the harpsichord. These are dance suites with few ornaments and simpler writing than the usual baroque set of dances. They are especially useful as preparation for Bach’s French and English suites.

Domenico Cimarosa ( 1749 – 1801) – 36 sonatas. All nice, all very easy (grade 4- 6).

Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713) – Corelli was primarily a violinist, but he composed a few dances for keyboard. I have 2 volumes of them called “24 pieces”, edited by Kalmus.

François Couperin (1668 – 1773) – If you haven’t yet, get the CDs of Couperin music played on the piano by Angela Hewitt. It is short of a revelation. He composed over 230 pieces for keyboard. My all time favourite is “Les barricades mysterieux”.

Jean François Dandrieu (1684 – 1740) Lots of lyrical, melancholic pieces. I like “Les tendres Reproches”.

Louis Claude Dacquin (1694 – 1772) – Le coucou (need I say more?)

Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583 – 1644) – Barenreiter has published his complete keyboard works in 5 volumes.

Baldassare Gallupi (1706 – 1785) – 12 sonatas of moderate difficulty, yet of high craftsmanship.

Handel (1685 – 1759) – As Hmoll said, his suites are all interesting and all underplayed (yes, Perahia recorded some). Also check out his beautiful treble recorder sonatas which are excellent material for both sight reading and duo performance (look for a treble recorder player!)

Jean Baptiste Loeillet (1680 – 1730) – Loeillet composed a number of suites for keyboard. But what I find really interesting are his 48 sonatas for treble recorder and basso continuo. This is great material for both sight reading and performance if you can find a willing recorder partner. The recorder part is not that difficult (around grade 5). Highly recommended if you are interested in duos.

Benedetto Marcello (1686 – 1739) – Check his 12 harpsichord sonatas. And as with Handel and Loeillet, Marcello composed a lot of beautiful recorder music.

Giovanni Martini (1706 – 1784) – Check out his “Six sonatas”.

Johann Pachelbel (1653 – 1706) – Yes, Pachelbel did compose other stuff besides the Canon in D.

Pietro Domenico Paradis (1710 – 1792) – Try his “12 sonate de gravicembali”. Naxos has his keyboard music .

Giovanni Pescetti (1704 – 1766) – Try his “9 Sonatas per Gravicenbalo”.

Giovanni Pergolesi (1710 – 1736)

Henry Purcell (1658 – 1695) – Have a look at the second part of the “Musick’s Handmaid”, which he shares with Blow. Purcell also wrote some very beautiful songs, so if you can get a singer to accompany, it makes for great sight reading material. You can also try his “8 suites” which are easier than Bach’s French and English suites.

Jean Phillipe Rameau (1683 – 1764) – There is a lot of harpsichord music by Rameau. They are collected in “Premier Livre de Pieces de Clavecin”, “Pieces de Clavecin” and “Nouvelles suites de pieces de Clavecin”.

Padre Antonio Soler (1729 – 1783) – Thracozaag is right. If you like Scarlatti you will like Soler.  A disciple of Scarlatti, Soler composed 300 sonatas similar in style. Also have a look at this thread:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=repo;action=display;num=1083893190


Carlos de Seixas (1704 – 1742) – Another Scarlatti disciple composing in a similar style. Try his sonatas and toccatas.

Georg Telemann (1681 – 1767) – Try his 36 Fantasies. As with Loeillet, Marcello and Handel, Telemann composed someof the most beautiful music for recorder and basso continuo. All of his recorder sonatas are superior music. Get a recorder player to accompany. You will be glad you did.

There are more, but these should keep you busy for a while.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Antnee]

Thanks for your replies everyone...

You guys are so helpful!!

oh and Bernhard.... You're the man...

-Tony-

[promusician]

Bernhard, you miss Dietrich Buxtehude, aside form his organ works, there are some nice keyboard suites and variations

[lelle]

LOL nice necro

[thesixthsensemusic]

I'd say, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. He laid the foundations for the German organ school that Buxtehude, and later the various members of the Bach family, were part of.

Glenn Gould recorded a lot of his keyboard works on the piano.