10 ESSENTIAL BAROQUE ORCHESTRAL WORKS for BEGINNERS 

Zelenka’s music is so fun to listen to. It is off the wall, in the best way. Total genius

William Boyce actually straddled the baroque and classical periods. He died in 1778. But from what I have heard of his music, he was firmly rooted in baroque tradition. Partly because of his employment by the then King, who was a Handel lover...

One of the messy aspects of Baroque music for beginners is ornamentation and improvisation. Do not be surprised if you find wildly different versions of the same music.Dynamics, tempo and even the actual musical lines themselves vary because period folks can sometimes take massive liberties to the point of changing the character of the music.

After the beginners have had some time to digest all these new goodies, I would like to see a re-cap video where you let the beginners report in the comments the results of their findings. And if those explorations led them to other works.

Due to your influence Dave, I have purchased a copy of Vivaldi The Four Seasons and Beethoven Pastoral. This old rocker is starting to understand some classical concepts. Thanks Dave.

Every single piece by Telemann I have listened to has been a delight.

Once again, you've nailed it with this list. I do encourage beginners to take these lists to heart - they have all featured works that were pivotal to getting me into classical music.

I remember when u made video "10 essential concertos for beginners" but there was no baroque on that list, so big thank you for making video focused on baroque.

There use to be a budget, budget label called Laser Light and in the early 90's they put together some FANTASTIC singles, small box, and big box collections of baroque music. I know they must have licensed the recordings from somewhere, but the performances were 1st class and the sonics were wonderful...and of course SUPER CHEAP. They also released a damn fine collection of complete Mozart.

Boyce and the Avison (then through him to Scarlatti) was my first into to the Baroque, by my dear college friend Fred. So glad you include them; they are wonderful works to invite one into that world of music...

Great video, bravo!

Another winner, Dave. Keep them coming.

Great presentation Dave. So informative and interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing everything, especially the many new things I've learned about on your list here. Thanks

Well done!

Bravo!

Great list! Mostly stuff I know and love but some stuff I'm less familiar with. I'm glad you put Handel's opus 6 on there, too. One group that usually has a really well-balanced continuo section in my opinion is the Bremer Barockorchester.

The Vivaldi, Bach, and both of the Handel works are among my favorite compositions. Don't really have much, or none, of the other composiers' pieces.

Hello Dave. I watched this video yesterday (29/9/2022) and am grateful for the list of suggestions. I have listened to some Baroque music previously and enjoyed it but am definitely a beginner. So I decided to listen to the works mentioned in your list. So far I’ve relistened to The Four Seasons, The Brandenburg Concertos and I’ve literally just finished the Zelenka Capriccios, which I absolutely loved. Thanks again and keep up the fantastic work please it’s appreciated

Another great, immersive list. Baroque is not a specialty of mine, though I do enjoy it a good bit. I'm familiar with only half of the music you mention, so I'm looking forward to familiarizing myself with the rest of it. Thanks for the tips!

So happy to see you giving the Baroque era some love. With the exception of Rebel, I’ve been enjoying the pieces mentioned here for the better part of 40 years. The Baroque remains my firm favorite, but thanks to you I’ve been exploring more of the Classical and Romantic repertoire. Your videos have been a great starting point for further listening on RU-vid, and in some cases have led to purchasing the CDs. I’m especially grateful to you for introducing me to Saint-Saens’ Piano Concertos-delightful! Your channel is a treasure. The information you provide is invaluable, and the fascinating stories and humor make the videos a joy to watch whatever the content might be. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Thank you.

Nowadays you can get continuos provided by lutes or theorbos.

David, are there certain Baroque composers distinguishable from the others in the Rococo style? (I’m not sure I formed that question correctly).