MusicCoach difficulty
70/100
Advanced
Level of the complete work
We have no level specific to this movement. The figure above is that of the complete work: within a cycle, movements often differ widely in demand.
Estimated skills
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Ornaments
Baroque ornaments
1
Style
Baroque style
1
Reading
Bass clef reading
1
Tone
Hand balance
1
Tone
Touch control
1
Technique
Three-or-more-voice polyphony
1
What to play next?
Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.
Gentle step
The safest next step.
Gentle
Harpsichord Suite in D minor, HWV.447
George Frideric Handel
close skills
low risk
to confirm
A short step up — but it is the one that moves you into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Indépendance des mains and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Gentle
Harpsichord Suite in D minor, HWV.436
George Frideric Handel
close skills
low risk
to confirm
A short step up — but it is the one that moves you into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Indépendance des mains and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Balanced step
A genuine step up, without a jolt.
Balanced
Partita no. 3 in A minor, BWV.827
Johann Sebastian Bach
close skills
moderate risk
fair confidence
A real step up: this piece moves you into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Style baroque and Ornements baroque — the notes are not enough: articulation and ornaments follow performance conventions best checked in an urtext edition.
Balanced
Suite, for harpsichord in A, TWV. 32:14
Georg Philipp Telemann
close skills
moderate risk
to confirm
A real step up: this piece moves you into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Polyphonie à deux voix and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Ambitious challenge
A useful leap with guided practice.
Challenge
Partita no. 6 in E minor, BWV.830
Johann Sebastian Bach
close skills
high risk
to confirm
An ambitious leap into Great repertoire (diploma level, beyond grade 8) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. The skill that will carry the work: Style baroque and Ornements baroque — the notes are not enough: articulation and ornaments follow performance conventions best checked in an urtext edition.
Challenge
Chaconne with 2 sets of keys in F major, HWV.485
George Frideric Handel
partial transfer
high risk
to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Polyphonie à deux voix and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Same level
Same level
Fugue no. 15 en Sol Majeur, BWV.884
Johann Sebastian Bach
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Analyse harmonique and Indépendance des mains — understand the form and the harmony before memorising, or memory collapses the moment you play for someone.
Same level
Praeludium et Fantasia in A minor: Fugue in A minor
Johann Pachelbel
close skills
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Analyse harmonique and Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus — understand the form and the harmony before memorising, or memory collapses the moment you play for someone.
Same level
Fugue in A minor, BWV.947
Johann Sebastian Bach
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Analyse harmonique and Indépendance des mains — understand the form and the harmony before memorising, or memory collapses the moment you play for someone.
This Allemande is a measured Baroque dance, calm on the surface but driven by contrapuntal inner lines that require steady pulse and clear articulation of short phrases. Pay special attention to Ornements baroque (4.1/5): you will need to execute small ornamentations with strict rhythmic precision and fold them into the line without disturbing the beat; Reading bass clef (Lecture clé de fa, 3.1/5) is also required to identify and balance the inner bass voices that often cross hands. The piece belongs to the Baroque period and is part of Bach’s keyboard partitas, each dance exploring formal and contrapuntal aspects of the style. I do not give a recommended recording because I am not 100% certain of a single authoritative interpretation for this specific movement.