The Development of the Baroque Solo Keyboard Suite: an Historical Survey Focusing on France, England, and Germany

For over one hundred years during the Baroque Era, the suite was one of the most prominent genres in keyboard composition, and virtually every Baroque keyboard composer of significance from France, England, and Germany contributed to its propagation. While each of these countries developed its own stylistic approach to suite composition, it is also important to consider the ways in which these countries influenced each other and appropriated various aspects of one another's handling of the genre. The Baroque keyboard suite represents the first large-scale keyboard genre to reflect a high degree of stylistic cross-fertilization between major European regions and beyond. Whether through a composer's individual travels, the transference of musical trends from one royal court to another, or the dissemination of manuscripts and printed collections, the suite was made to absorb any number of structural and characteristic influences throughout its development. This work is designed to chronicle that highly complex and artistic development.