Improvisers of the Baroque Era

Music in the Baroque period was meant to sound much different in performance compared to the actual written score, so players and singers in the Baroque period had to embellish the music by themselves. Figured bass implied that the performer had to use their fingers as thinking machines in addition to adding ornamentation fitting to the melody. Bach and Handel are esteemed as some of the greatest improvisers. Frequently Baroque music merely contains notation without much instruction at all for tempo, ornamentation, or dynamics. The performer was expected to embellish the music, which created emotion, adornment, and interest in the composition.