Demonstration of Bach's Invention in A major, BWV 783

Dr. Ivona Kaminska expanded her pianistic knowledge under such Bach and Baroque performance practice experts as Dr. George Ritchie, Dr. Quentin Faulkner, and Dr. Gregory Butler and performance on harpsichord and organ. This fascination led her to publish her dissertation on applying such techniques to the modern piano.
In this clip, Dr. Kaminska presents Bach's Invention No. 12 in A major, BWV 783 on a modern Steinway model D.
Notes:
Many aspects of Baroque performance practice are possible on the modern piano. These aspects get us closer to the way Bach heard, understood, and performed the music himself.
clarity and pearl-like articulation
understanding the music message, encompassed in the meter
12/8 meter here contains a triplet division of the four main beats - always suggesting a dance-like quality
projection of the strong (first and third) and weak (second and fourth) large beats enhances the dance-like quality
projecting the lilt of the triplet figures, one may emphasize the first of three in a "strong - weak - weak" nature, as shown in this performance; other articulations are possible as well, including the slurring of eighth notes 1 and 2, detaching the third
Bach himself indicates in m.19 a slurred approach to 1 and 2; this opens the possibility for a contrasting approach elsewhere
no metronomes were available, nor did he include tempo indications in most of his works - the greater the value of the denominator (8 in this case), the faster the tempo, but not specifically quantified
when choosing the speed, one must take into consideration for the possibilities allowed by the acoustics and clarity, the instrument, Affekt, and dance-like quality
even though Bach rarely assigned dynamics in his keyboard works, he indicated a wide variety of dynamics in his vocal and instrumental music
according to C.P.E. Bach, his father's favorite keyboard was the clavichord, which was capable of producing dynamic shading
doubtless, given the opportunity or ability, the modern pianist can and should enjoy dynamic and tonal variation possible to bring the music to life