Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the ABRSM Exam Syllabus:

Grade 8 Scales
Scales for this Grade can be found in the ABRSM Exam Syllabus for Harpsichord

Grade 6 Sight-reading
ABRSM Harpsichord Specimen Sight Reading, Grades 4-8

Grade 8 Aurals
ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests, Grade 8 (book only)
ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests, Grade 8 (book and CD)
ABRSM Aural Training in Practice, Grades 6-8 (book and CD)

Grade 8 Pieces
One piece must be chosen from each of Lists B and C and one piece from either list A or

LIST A
1 Bull Chromatic Pavan (Queen Elizabeth’s) and Chromatic Galliard. Bull 12 Keyboard Pieces (Stainer & Bell K36)
2 Byrd John come kiss me now. Byrd Six Sets of Variations (Stainer & Bell K34)
3 Frescobaldi Toccata Nona. Frescobaldi Second Book of Toccatas, Canzoni etc 1637 (Bärenreiter BA 2204)
4 Froberger Toccata (1) in A minor, FbWV 101 or Toccata (2) in D minor, FbWV 102. No. 12 or No. 13 from John Blow’s Anthology (Stainer & Bell K37) or Froberger New Edition of the Complete Works, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter BA 8063)
5 Kerll Passacaglia (Doblinger DM 173)
6 Morley Go from my window. No. 13 from Morley Complete Keyboard Works, Vol. 2 (Stainer & Bell K13)
7 Rossi Toccata No. 7. P. 72 from Early Italian Keyboard Music, Vols 1 & 2 (OUP archive)
8 Sweelinck Unter der Linden grune (Onder een linde groen), SwWV 325. No. 7 from Sweelinck Sämtliche Werke für Tasteninstrumente, Vol. 4 (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 8744)
9 Weckmann Toccata (4) in A minor. No. 8 from Weckmann Complete Freely Composed Organ and Keyboard Works (Bärenreiter BA 8189)

LIST B
1 F. Couperin Allemande La Laborieuse (from 1er livre, 2e ordre). P. 30 from F. Couperin Anthologie pour Clavecin (L’Oiseau-Lyre OL941)
2 F. Couperin Passacaille (Rondeau) (from 2e livre, 8e ordre). P. 56 from Early French Keyboard Music, Vols 1 & 2 (OUP Archive)
3 D’Anglebert Tombeau de Mr. de Chambonnières (from Pièces de Clavecin) (with repeats). P. 36 from Early French Keyboard Music, Vols 1 & 2 (OUP archive)
4 L. Couperin Prélude No. 1 in D minor (complete) or Prélude No. 3 in G minor (complete). No. 1 or No. 3 from L. Couperin Préludes non mesurés für Cembalo (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 8705)
5 Rameau La Dauphine. Rameau Complete Keyboard Works, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter BA 6581) or Rameau Pièces de Clavecin (Bärenreiter BA 3800)
6 Rameau L’Enharmonique (from Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin). Rameau Complete Keyboard Works, Vol. 2 (Bärenreiter BA 6582) or Rameau Pièces de Clavecin (Bärenreiter BA 3800)
7 Rameau La Poule (from Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin). Rameau Complete Keyboard Works, Vol. 2 (Bärenreiter BA 6582) or Rameau Pièces de Clavecin (Bärenreiter BA 3800) or No. 10 from Baroque Keyboard Pieces, Book 5 (ABRSM)
8 Royer La Marche des Scythes, Royer Pièces de Clavecin (Heugel LP 71)
9 Royer Le Vertigo (Rondeau)

LIST C
1 J. S. Bach Prélude: 1st movt from English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807, J. S. Bach English Suites (Bärenreiter BA 5165 or Henle 100)
2 J. S. Bach Prélude: 1st movt from English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808, J. S. Bach English Suites (Bärenreiter BA 5165 or Henle 100)
3 J. S. Bach Toccata: 1st movt from Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830. J. S. Bach Six Partitas (Bärenreiter BA 5152 or Henle 28)
4 J. S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in F# minor, BWV 883. No. 14 from J. S. Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier, Part 2 (ABRSM)
5 J. S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in Ab, BWV 886. No. 17 from J. S. Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier, Part 2 (ABRSM)
6 J. S. Bach Toccata No. 4 in G minor, BWV 915. J. S. Bach Toccatas (Bärenreiter BA 5235 or Henle 126 without fingering, with fingering)
7 Böhm Präludium, Fuge und Postludium in G minor. P. 23 from Böhm Sämtliche Werke, Vol. 1 (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 6634)
8 Buxtehude Prelude and Fugue in G minor, BuxWV 163. No. 1 from Buxtehude Ausgewählte Werke für Klavier (Cembalo) (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 6281)
9 Handel Air (with Handel’s ornamentation) and Doubles: 5th movt from Suite in D minor (1720), HWV 428. No. 3 from Handel Klavierwerke, Vol.1 (Bärenreiter BA 4224) or Handel Klaviersuiten (1720) HWV 432. (Henle 336)
10 Handel Ouverture (complete): 1st movt from Suite in G minor (1720), No. 7 from Handel Klavierwerke, Vol.1 Bärenreiter BA 4224) or Handel Klaviersuiten(1720) HWV 432.(Henle 336)

LIST D
1 Jurriaan Andriessen Musica per Clavicembalo (Music Centre the Netherlands)
2 W. F. Bach Fantasia in A minor (FK 23). W. F. Bach Ausgewählte Klavierwerke (Henle 452)
3 Ligeti Passacaglia ungherese for harpsichord (Schott ED 6843)
4 Mozart Modulierendes Präludium. No. 61 from Mozart Klavierstücke (Henle 22)
5 Paradies Vivace: 1st movt from Sonata No. 10 in D. Paradies Sonate di Gravicembalo, Vol. 2 (Schott ED 6121)
6 Rhian Samuel Silver Threads for solo harpsichord (Stainer & Bell Y232)
7 D. Scarlatti Sonata in A, Kp. 24. No. 50 from Scarlatti Ausgewählte Klaviersonaten, Vol. 3 (Henle 476) or No. 5 from Scarlatti 200 Sonatas, Vol. 1 (Editio Musica Budapest Z.7817)
8 D. Scarlatti Sonata in G minor, Kp. 30 (‘Cat Fugue’). No. 1 from Scarlatti Ausgewählte Klaviersonaten, Vol. 1 (Henle 395) or No. 10 from Scarlatti 200 Sonatas, Vol. 1 (Editio Musica Budapest Z.7817)
9 Soler Sonata in C# minor, R. 21. No. 10 from Soler 14 Sonatas (Faber) or No. 4 from Soler Eight Sonatas (Schott ED 9183) or No. 3 from Soler Ausgewählte Klaviersonaten (Henle 475)

< Back to HarpsichordExam Music