The Baroque Spirit (1600--1750), Book 2: Piano Book & CD

This collection pairs substantial intermediate-to-advanced repertoire with the recorded accompaniment and historical context that helps students understand Baroque style not as abstract technique but as living music rooted in a specific time. Glover's curation balances canonical works with lesser-known gems, giving pianists a fuller picture of the era while avoiding the usual suspects-only programming trap.

The Baroque emerges as a world of elegant counterpoint, ornamental detail, and intellectual rigor. Each piece breathes with the formality and geometric precision of the era, yet remains deeply expressive; the added harmonic and compositional context helps you hear what earlier composers were actually doing beneath the surface.

Intermediate through early-advanced pianists ready to move beyond simplified Baroque selections and engage with the full musical and historical texture of the period. This is ideal for students preparing for competitions, preparing college audition repertoire, or simply deepening their understanding of a foundational era.

• Listen to the included CD recording first, then work backward into your own interpretation. You're building on a musical foundation, not creating in a vacuum.
• Study the composer commentary before diving into the score. Understanding the social and musical context of each piece shapes your phrasing and ornamentation choices.
• Pay close attention to figured bass and implied harmonic movement; Baroque style depends on your awareness of the underlying voice-leading, not just the written melody.
• Let the harpsichord and period instruments on the recordings guide your sense of articulation and rhythmic clarity. Baroque piano technique is leaner and more transparent than Romantic approach.

Slot individual selections into student recitals across the year, using the included commentary to write thoughtful program notes that educate your audience. Alternatively, build a full recital or concert series around the Baroque Spirit collection itself, letting the historical arc unfold piece by piece.

• Identifying and executing period-appropriate ornamentation (trills, mordents, turns)
• Recognizing Baroque voice-leading and harmonic progressions through figured bass awareness
• Sustaining clarity and independence across multiple contrapuntal lines
• Interpreting performance practice conventions of the 1600s-1750 era
• Understanding historical and social context as a tool for stylistic interpretation