University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1979 Survey of selected keyboard music from the baroque and classical periods, with an introduction to the performance practices of the times and concluded with guides to the music presented in the survey Gay Garard Brewer The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Brewer, Gay Garard, "Survey of selected keyboard music from the baroque and classical periods, with an introduction to the performance practices of the times and concluded with guides to the music presented in the survey" (1979). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 3807. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/3807 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A S m iE Ï OP SELECTED KEYBOAED MUSIC FROM THE BAROQUE AMD CLASSICAL PERIODS, WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PERFORMANCE PRACTICES OF THE TIME AND CONCLUDED WITH GUIDES TO THE MUSIC PRESENTED IN THE SURVEY By Gay Garard Brewer Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1979 Approved by: Go Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean , Graduate School f / Date UMI Number: EP35316 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT DHHMsrtatkm PubinMng UMI EP35316 Published by ProQuest LLC (2012). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uesf ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 A Brewer, Gay Garard, M.A., June, 1979 Music A Survey of Selected Keyboard Masic from the Baroque and Classical Periods, with an Introduction to the Performance Practices of the Time and Concluded with Guides to the Music Presented in the Survey (77 pp.) Director: Lucien Hut A.major problem confronting a piano teacher who is without the background that comes with a degree in music, is what music to teach after finishing the introductory method books. This thesis recom^ mends that the teacher introduce composers who are not as well-known as Bach or Mozart, but whose music plays an integral part in the entire pianist's repertoire. The period of music that the author has chosen to explore lies between ca.l68O-c8 .l83O, including the Baroque, Rococo, and Classical periods. The composers discussed range from William Byrd and John Blow to Beethoven and Mozart. This time was selected in order to help the private teacher who has a limited background with respect to performance practices of that day, and the need to teach from a larger number of composers. The author proposes that the approach to these composers be through the four schools of keyboard composition, beginning with the English virgin- alists and harpsichordists, and proceed through the French, Italian, and German schools. The four main topics of discussion that intro­ duce these schools are: (l) the types of instruments that were in use at that time and their peculiarities; (2 ) how to interpret the unmarked music of this era; (3 ) the location of the music and what editions to use; (I|.) the realization of the four schools in a his­ torical background. The most extensive discussion of this music is found in the stylistic interpretation section of each chapter. This section will cover six areas of interpretation. Tempo markings were virtually nonexistent before I6OO and, therefore, the performance speed was derived from the notation of the music itself. Phrasing and articulation are grouped together as articulation is considered a smaller part of the phrasing, and how phrases related to each that the performer can produce music. Dynamic level indications were rare in the early music, as were tempo markings. The human voice as a measurement for dynamics is the criterion used. Finger­ ing that at one time made use of only the three middle fingers must be combined with the modern Italian system of fingering to come up with a comfortable technique. The pedal which did not exist on the early instruments presents the problem of performing this early music on a modern instrument. Ornamentation is the most conflicting area found in the topic of interpretation. This topic must be examined school-by-school, and within that, composer-by-composer. Each chapter is followed by a summary containing graded lists of compos­ itions that are recommended by the author as suitable teaching compositions for these periods of music. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge the following individuals who have been the foundation of this paper, for without them this thesis would not have been possible: E y parents, J. R. and Gerry Garard, and my mother and father-in-law. Dr. Leonard and Martha Brewer, for all of their many years of loving, and more, financial support, and baby­ sitting; my former teacher, Donald Denegar, for all the knowledge he imparted to me for many years, and who is an example of the finest private piano teacher I have ever known; Peggy Smith of Sampson-Ayers Music Store for the many hours of research that she put in locating just what I needed; the ever-patient members of my committee; and last, the most important person of all, my husband Bert, for his thousands of words of encouragement and continued belief in my ability to accom­ plish this entire project. Xll TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT................................................... ii ACEirOWLEBGMENTS........................................... iii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1 II. ENGLISH SCHOOL ...................................... 6 Stylistic Interpretation .......................... 9 Phrasing and Articulation.......................... 10 F i n g e r i n g .........................................12 Dynamics.......................................... 13 T e m p o ............................................ l9 Ornamentation..................................... 19 Pedaling.......................................... 21 Editions.......................................... 22 C o m p o s e r s .........................................23 ENGLISH SCHOOL SUMMARY................................ 26 111. FRENCH S C H O O L ........................................ 29 Stylistic Interpretation .......................... 30 Ornamentation ................................... 30 T e m p o ............................................ 31 Editions.......................................... 3 k C o m p o s e r s ........................................ 36 FRENCH SCHOOL S U M M A R Y ................................ 38 iv Chapter Page IV. ITALIAIT SCHOOL...........................................1|0 Stylistic Interpretation .......................... k3 Phrasing and Articulation.......................... UU Pedaling.......................................... il7 Dynamics.......................................... i+S Ornamentation..................................... i+S Editions ......... ........................ SO C o m p o s e r s ........................................ Si ITALIAN SCHOOL SUMMARY .............................. SU V. GERMAN S C H O O L ...........................................S& Stylistic Interpretation .......................... S? Dynamics.......................................... S8 Ornamentation ................................... S8 Editions.......................................... 6S C o m p o s e r s .........................................6S GERMAN SCHOOL SUMMARY ................................ 69 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................... 7S CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A problem facing keyboard teachers upon finishing introductory methods books is in finding easier music by the early composers. This thesis proposes to make available an introduction and discussion of some of the more elementary compositions by certain selected composers from the Baroque and Classical periods of music. The four schools of keyboard music will provide an avenue of approach in the discussion of this music. The schools, in order of their presentation, will be the English, French, Italian and German. The English School will be considered first, as "England was the first country to liberate harpsichord music from organ music and to forge a distinct harpsichord style independent of organ technique.Following the English School will be the French School, which was the "undisputed leader in musical development for about one hundred years, during the 2 Baroque era." The third school of thought will be the Italian, which claims the "distinction of having the longest recorded music history and after France the most influential."^ Rounding out this literary John Gillespie, Five Centuries of Keyboard Music; An Historical Survey of Music for Harpsichord and Piano (Santa Barbara, California: