Many are surprised to learn that the improvisational element intrinsic to jazz performance had a precursor in the music of the Baroque period, and most especially through the 17th-century compositions ...

There's a distinct irony that in the field of early music -- perhaps the most scholarly realm of classical music -- improvisation is on the rise. Yet according to Joseph Gascho, harpsichordist of ...

One of the indelible anecdotes about Bach’s youth involves his eldest brother who took him in after their parents died. The story goes that the brother, a rather severe type, wouldn’t let his ...

Musicians who specialize in playing music that’s 300 years old have a different approach. “It’s more about the process and the players than it is the music,” said harpsichordist Joseph Gascho, one of ...

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