5.3 Major keyboard composers and their works

Baroque keyboard music flourished with composers like Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, and Couperin. They pushed boundaries, exploring new techniques and forms on harpsichord, clavichord, and organ. Their works showcased virtuosity, expanded expressive range, and set new standards for keyboard composition.

These composers left a lasting legacy, influencing future generations. Their innovations in technique, form, and tuning became foundational. Many of their pieces remain essential for students and performers, continuing to inspire musicians and audiences today.

Baroque Keyboard Composers and Their Works

Prominent Baroque keyboard composers

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  Handel: Biography | Music Appreciation View original

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  History of Baroque Music and Origins | Music Appreciation View original

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  THE GRANDMA'S LOGBOOK ---: JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH AND THE BAROQUE MUSIC AGE View original

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  Handel: Biography | Music Appreciation View original

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• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) composed for harpsichord, clavichord, and organ with significant works including the Well-Tempered Clavier (explored equal temperament tuning), Goldberg Variations (showcased variations and virtuosity), and Toccata and Fugue in D minor (demonstrated organ's expressive range) which contributed to the development of the fugue and the standardization of keyboard tuning
• George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed for harpsichord and organ with notable works such as the Harmonious Blacksmith variations (exemplified theme and variations form) and the Organ Concertos (integrated orchestral textures) influencing the development of the keyboard suite
• Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) composed primarily for harpsichord writing over 500 single-movement keyboard sonatas that pioneered the use of virtuosic techniques (hand-crossing, rapid repeated notes, wide leaps) and expanded the expressive range of the harpsichord
• François Couperin (1668-1733) composed for harpsichord with important works including the four books of Pièces de clavecin which developed the French style of keyboard music characterized by ornate melodies and complex ornamentation (trills, mordents, turns)

Compositional styles in Baroque keyboard music

• Johann Sebastian Bach employed contrapuntal complexity, fugal techniques, and explored various keyboard genres (preludes, fugues, toccatas, variations) while innovatively using keyboard tuning systems such as equal temperament
• George Frideric Handel integrated Italian and German styles, used variations and dance forms in keyboard suites, and incorporated orchestral textures and concerto-like elements in organ works
• Domenico Scarlatti emphasized technical virtuosity, explored the harpsichord's capabilities, used hand-crossing techniques, rapid repeated notes, wide leaps, and incorporated Spanish folk music influences (guitar-like figurations, Phrygian mode)
• François Couperin composed refined, ornate melodies with intricate ornamentation, used descriptive titles and programmatic elements in keyboard pieces, and explored various keyboard genres (dances, character pieces, tombeaux)

Bach vs Handel vs Scarlatti

• Compositional styles: Bach used complex counterpoint and fugal techniques; Handel integrated Italian and German styles with variations and dance forms; Scarlatti emphasized virtuosity and Spanish folk influences
• Keyboard instruments: Bach composed for harpsichord, clavichord, and organ; Handel primarily for harpsichord and organ; Scarlatti almost exclusively for harpsichord
• Musical forms: Bach wrote preludes, fugues, toccatas, variations, and suites; Handel composed suites, variations, and organ concertos; Scarlatti focused on single-movement sonatas
• Technical demands: Bach explored contrapuntal complexity and keyboard tuning; Handel integrated orchestral textures in organ works; Scarlatti employed virtuosic techniques (hand-crossing, rapid notes, leaps)

Impact on harpsichord and organ music

• Expanded technical possibilities as composers like Bach, Handel, and Scarlatti pushed boundaries of keyboard technique, exploring virtuosity and expanding expressive range of harpsichord and organ
• Standardized keyboard tuning with Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier demonstrating possibilities of equal temperament tuning which became the standard
• Established keyboard genres as Baroque composers developed and refined various forms (prelude, fugue, toccata, variation, suite)
• Popularized keyboard instruments as works of major composers showcased capabilities of harpsichord and organ, increasing their status as solo instruments

Legacy of Baroque keyboard works

• Technical and compositional innovations set new standards for virtuosity and complexity, influencing future generations of composers and performers
• Pedagogical value as works like Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and Scarlatti's sonatas have become essential materials for keyboard students
• Inspiration for later composers as Baroque keyboard compositions served as models for composers in Classical, Romantic, and modern eras
• Repertoire staples with many works, such as Bach's Goldberg Variations and Handel's Harmonious Blacksmith, becoming widely performed and recorded