Performance Practices in Baroque Keyboard Music (with Bonus Lecture on Baroque Dance): Piano DVD

This DVD transforms what could be dry historical information into a visceral, practical guide. By pairing clear instruction on articulation, dynamics, and ornamentation with filmed demonstrations of Baroque court dances performed in period costume, Hinson makes the physical and cultural context of keyboard music tangible for modern pianists who might otherwise approach these works as abstract notation.

Stepping into a sunlit salon where courtiers move in precise, elegant patterns while a harpsichord or organ anchors each gesture. The formality is never rigid; instead, the constraint of convention becomes the very thing that releases expressive possibility. Each dance type carries its own character, from the measured nobility of the sarabande to the spirited energy of the gigue.

Pianists working through Baroque keyboard repertoire who want to move beyond modern interpretations toward historically grounded choices about touch, phrasing, and ornamentation. Piano teachers preparing students for advanced recitals or competitions will find the dance section especially valuable for helping pianists grasp the physical basis of Baroque style.

• Study the ornamentation section closely before opening a score; understanding where trills, mordents, and turns belong will help you identify interpretive choices rather than feeling bound by literal notes on the page.
• Watch the dance demonstrations with the keyboard accompaniment playing simultaneously. This embodied connection between hand movement and the underlying rhythm transforms abstract meter into felt pulse.
• Pay particular attention to the articulation and touch guidance when learning works based on specific dance types. A sarabande's character lives in the way you separate or connect notes, not just in tempo.

Use this resource in the studio when a student is preparing a Baroque suite or set of dances for recital. The visual and auditory models will deepen their understanding far more effectively than verbal description alone. For group study, faculty can screen the dance section during a masterclass or seminar on keyboard music history to build context across multiple students at once.

• Historically informed articulation and touch in Baroque keyboard works
• Recognition and execution of common Baroque ornaments (trills, mordents, turns)
• Understanding the relationship between dance forms and keyboard composition
• Interpretation of period-appropriate dynamics and phrasing
• Physical awareness of meter and rhythm through connection to dance movement