Consider the style and period of the music.
Discover the life, times and personality of the composer.
Discover specific comments (if any) by the composer or his contemporaries about the work.
Consider the general mood of the work.
Consider the specific mood of each phrase to give them character and meaning.
Consider the rhythmic shape of the work and of each phrase.
Consider the shape and form of the melody.
Consider the harmonic sequence.
Consider the interaction between melody and harmony.
Listen to other interpretations. Appreciate them and forget them. Now do your own thing.
Thank you for reading.
First published on 9th August 2014, Hitchin, UK