Hi everbody,

I'm considering playing this song for my grade eight exam, and I was wondering if the song should be played in a more legato, romantic style or a harpsichord kind of style? I think it sounds better connected and with the pedal, but considering it is Baroque style, I'm not so sure.

I am looking at this piece too, though the syllabus may change before I get round to doing grade 8. I think definitely no pedal. Remember harpsichords had no pedal. We are never encouraged to play Bach with pedal, and even Mozart is often better without. In Baroque pieces you have to demonstrate articulating each and every note cleanly and precisely, just as on the instruments of that period. No throwing your fingers at the keys and gaining legato with the pedal.

Same applies with this piece, to my mind at least. Good luck with it.

no pedal.

however if the piano in the exam is a grand, and has a middle "selective" pedal, you could use this to sustain the minims that appear in the bass, without blurring the arpeggios over the top. my knowledge on baroque styles is hardly comprehensive, so there'll be plenty of others on here who'll give more useful advice

don't play it in a "romantic style" though, this is what is assessed in lists B/C (depending on your choices here). i.e. rubato and exaggerated dynamics and sentimentalism would be a little out of place here. "forte" means something different to scarlatti than it would to liszt or rachmaninov.

so forget the legato pedalling just now and focus on clean, articulate fingerwork, good luck with the exam when it comes