Continuo Playing According to Handel: His Figured Bass Exercises. With a Commentary
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Author Description
This book is an edition, with commentary, of Handel's exercises for continuo playing, which he wrote for the daughters of George II. The exercises, which until now have not been readily available, are supplemented by clear and concise commentary. Remaining faithful to his source, Ledbetter, who lectures in keyboard studies, has prepared an edition that will prove invaluable to students and performers of the music of Handel and his contemporaries.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the pedagogical methods of George Frideric Handel by presenting and analyzing his original figured bass exercises composed for the daughters of George II. David Ledbetter, a specialist in keyboard studies, provides a scholarly edition of these previously inaccessible exercises. He contextualizes Handel's instructional approach within the broader framework of Baroque performance practice, offering a bridge between historical source material and modern application.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A complete edition of Handel's original figured bass exercises.
- Historical context regarding the education of the British royal family in the 18th century.
- Analytical commentary on Baroque continuo realization techniques.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a comprehensive history of all Baroque continuo methods.
- It focuses specifically on the exercises provided rather than a broad survey of Handel's entire compositional output.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts and musicologists recognize this volume as a significant primary source for understanding 18th-century keyboard pedagogy. Readers frequently note the clarity of Ledbetter's commentary, which makes these historical exercises accessible to both students and professional performers.
Page Count:
112
Publication Date:
1990-12-13
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0193184338
ISBN-13:
9780193184336
Music
Instructional
Baroque Music
Music theory