If only we could bring back improvisation into the curriculum at classical music academies....I found that a whole lot of classically trained pianists cannot play a single tone or 'happy birthday' without sheet music. That is really shame after so many years (decades) at the instrument.

The t-shirt is hilarious....  :)

Thank you for making these videos. I'm not a music student or musician, but I find all this pretty fascinating.

All improvisors ought to see this, especially jazz performers/scholars like myself. It's evident how the cadenzas/notated intervals of yesteryear grew into the modern "playing from chord changes". Indian and Eastern classical traditions took a similar approach, with natural or flattened 3rds/7ths/9ths likewise dictating the tonal mood.

@1:25 adding ornaments and diminutions
@5:11 variations on a given melody/sequence (e.g. passacaglia, partite)
@10:25 realizing Basso Continuo/Partimento (i.e. your own composition)
@14:53 incorporate a given melody into your imporvisation (e.g. ricecar, fugue, fantasia)
@20:02 free improvisation with very few parameters (e.g. toccata)

are we just gonnae ignore his bomb ass t shirt

I will play some of this for my class, if for no other reason than to read the T-shirt aloud to them. Very much knowledge and wisdom in this video (T-shirt, too).

The best thing is when you present specific sounds examples! Thank you for the video.

ye olde clicking the like button even before watching the video :)

A wonderful introduction on improvisation in classical music from this period.  In-depth and professional presentation all around. I learned a lot. Thank you!

Wonderful, but as another commenter suggested, sounds examples throughout would be even more delightful and instructive.

Grazie come sempre. L'argomento è vastissimo e sarebbe stato bello ascoltare qualche esempio in più, ma va bene anche così.

Great video! The Escher variation is very trippy. I wonder if it is possible to make the concept into music.

Vielen lieben Dank für diese Zusammenstellung!

nice shirt!

In our church, the organist always plays "toccatas per elevazione" after holy communion, free improvisation with some intentional dissonances. I was wondering what that meant, now I know! Thank you!

I feel I don't know anything 🥴🥴🥴🥴 hahaha great introduction! Thank you so much

That was very interesting, and as always the research was amazing. Thanks.

Indeed a very much detailed and sophisticated view on improvisational techniques in 17th century. The fact that some very common musical forms like toccata, ricercar, prelude etc. can be seen in relation to improvisational purposes can really provide new insights on playing and performing keyboard music from later baroque periods (e.g., Buxtehude, Bach...)
Love your videos! Thank you for being extraordinary inspiring.

16:30 it sounds almost like the practice in Barbershop singing known as "woodshedding" where a quartet is given a set of lyrics, and they have to improvise a line from that and nothing else