A First Book: 12 Easy Pieces for Keyboard: Other Keyboard, Collections, Book

This collection gives early students direct access to authentic Baroque repertoire without the intimidation factor of Handel's more virtuosic keyboard works. The variety across twelve movements means you're not drilling the same style repeatedly; students encounter correntes, minuets, sarabandes, and gavottes, each with its own character and technical demands. Programming these pieces builds confidence because they sound immediately like "real" Handel, not simplified exercises.

Courtly and elegant, with the precise ornamentation and clear harmonic language of the High Baroque. These pieces sing with clarity even at modest tempos; there's a directness to Handel's melodic invention that feels both sophisticated and intimate.

Early intermediate pianists ready for genuine Baroque repertoire and students preparing for music theory exams or period performance ensembles. Teachers seeking historically grounded material that avoids overly edited or "Americanized" versions will value this authentic collection.

• Shape each dance form's phrasing according to its historical character. A sarabanda calls for long, weighted lines where a giga thrives on crisp articulation and forward momentum.
• Let the ornamental figures breathe. Baroque notation often implies flexibility in tempo within a phrase, especially around trills and turns.
• Balance the implied harmonic progression underneath running passages. Handel's left hand often carries the harmonic weight while the right hand spins out figuration.
• Record yourself playing through the full set. Hearing the collection as a suite reveals how Handel orders contrasting tempos and moods, informing your interpretation of individual pieces.

Assemble a keyboard recital program pairing selections from this collection with works by Scarlatti or Bach at the same level, allowing the audience to hear Handel's voice alongside his contemporaries. Individual pieces like the Menuettos or Air work beautifully as stand-alone concert openers, while the full suite functions as a substantial solo performance.

• Dance form recognition and stylistically appropriate phrasing (minuet, giga, sarabanda, gavotta, corrente, allemande)
• Baroque ornamentation (trills, turns, grace notes) and improvisation within the idiom
• Two-hand independence with clear harmonic voicing in the left hand
• Period-appropriate articulation and tempo rubato within strict meter
• Reading figured bass implications in baroque keyboard writing