Join one of the world's leading experts on Bach's compositional pedagogy, Derek Remeš, in three progressive lessons deconstructing Preludes from the Well-Tempered Clavier. Rather than approaching these works as unapproachable monuments of Bach's creative genius, Remeš treats them as Bach did: as fluid byproducts of improvisation using stock harmonic formulae. The surface of Bach's music might exemplify his genius, but the underlying voice-leading patterns were commonplace in the 18th-century. Using Bach's own technique of thoroughbass analysis, Remeš shows you how to deconstruct a Baroque figuration prelude, identify its compositional devices, and rebuild the music in new and creative ways that would have earned approval from Bach himself.

Pianists play Bach. Some even specialize in his music. Yet the musical education most pianists receive would have been utterly foreign to Bach. How did Bach understand harmony and composition at the keyboard, and what can pianists learn from his way of thinking? In this course, pianist and Professor of Music Theory at the Music Hochschule in Lucerne, Derek Remeš, explores 18th-century harmony and composition at the keyboard, particularly as it relates to J. S. Bach and his circle. Whether you're a beginner or a more experienced pianist, this series will help you establish a theoretical foundation for understanding music in Bach’s day. This will have an impact on the way you perform, improvise, and compose music in baroque and classical styles.

How can we understand the stylistic variety that defines many of Mozart's compositions? What are the elements of sonata form, and what goals do they serve? How did Mozart understand harmonic patterns in his compositional process? Join one of the leading experts on 18th-century keyboard practice, Derek Remeš, as he addresses each of these questions in the context of the first movement of Mozart's Sonata in F major, K. 332. Remeš looks at the work through the lenses of topic theory, sonata form, and voice-leading conventions, in order to better understand Mozart's own creative process and to inform your own interpretations of Mozart's music in performance.