Succeeding with the Masters®, Baroque Era, Volume Two: Piano Book

This collection stages the transition from early Baroque exploration to the more architecturally complex works students encounter next. Rather than isolating repertoire by difficulty, it embeds each piece within the larger narrative of the era, so students understand not just how to play these works but why they matter historically and technically.

These pieces balance architectural clarity with expressive warmth. You'll encounter counterpoint that breathes, harmonic language that feels both logical and surprising, and the particular joy of lines that sing even at a keyboard.

Intermediate to early advanced pianists ready to deepen their Baroque literacy beyond basic minuets and simple dances. Teachers building students toward Bach's two-part inventions and more substantial keyboard works will find this collection precisely calibrated for that progression.

• Attend closely to the voicing in multi-part textures; baroque music demands clarity between lines, not blend. Imagine each voice as a distinct instrument.
• Study the practice strategies provided before drilling passages. They address the specific technical and interpretive challenges of these particular pieces rather than offering generic advice.
• Work with the companion recordings as a learning tool, not a model to imitate. Listen for phrasing and articulation choices, then experiment with your own interpretation.
• Consider ornamentation not as decoration but as structural information. In Baroque music, how you voice a trill or turn affects the harmonic narrative.

Weave selections from this volume throughout the year as repertoire that complements technique study; a student working through Bach's simpler works benefits from the historical context and practice guidance here. You might also feature a group of these pieces on a recital program to showcase how Baroque masters approached similar formal structures with vastly different sensibilities.

• Independent voice leading in two and three-part textures
• Baroque articulation and phrasing conventions
• Ornamentation and diminution in period style
• Harmonic analysis of functional tonal harmony
• Sustained rhythmic integrity without modern pedal
• Contrapuntal listening and performance awareness