A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Toccata

by Frederick Corder

TOCCATA (Ital.), from toccare, to touch, is the name of a kind of instrumental composition originating in the beginning of the 17th century. As the term Sonata is derived from the verb suonare, to sound, and may thus be described as a sound-piece, or Tonstück, so the similarly formed term Toccata represents a touch-piece, or a composition intended to exhibit the touch and execution of the performer. In this respect it is somewhat synonymous with the prelude and fantasia; but it has its special characteristics, which are so varied as to make them difficult to define clearly. The most obvious are a very flowing movement in notes of equal length and a homophonous character, there being often indeed in the earlier examples but one part throughout, though occasionally full chords were employed. There is no decided subject which is made such by repetition, and the whole has the air of a showy improvisation. Giovanni Gabrieli (1557–1613) and Claudio Merulo (1533–1604) were the first writers of any importance who used this form, the Toccatas of the latter being scarcely so brilliant as those of the former, though more elaborate. Frescobaldi, Luigi Rossi, and Scherer developed the idea and sometimes altered the character of the movement, using chords freely and even contrapuntal passages. It was Bach however who raised the Toccata far beyond all previous and later writers. The Toccatas to his Fugues for Clavecin are in some cases a chain of short movements of markedly different tempi and styles. The fourth of those in the Peters Volume of 'Toccatas and Fugues' is the only one which answers to the description given above, the others being almost overtures. That to the G minor Fugue in No. 211 of the same edition is very extended. His organ Toccatas are very grand, one of the finest being that in F on this subject^[1]—

the semiquaver figure of which is treated at great length alternately by the two hands in thirds and sixths over a pedal bass, and then by the pedals alone. Another in C (Dörffel, 830) is equally brilliant. Bach sometimes begins and ends with rapid cadenza-like passages in very short notes divided between the two hands, as in the well-known Toccata in D minor, with its fugue, which Tausig has arranged as a piano solo.^[2]

Probably from the fact of its faint individuality the Toccata has in later times had but a flickering vitality, and has found scant favour with composers of the first rank. A collection of six Toccatas for piano published by Mr. Pauer has resuscitated as prominent specimens one by F. Pollini (not the famous one of his 32) in G, and others by Czerny, Onslow, Clementi, etc. That by Pollini is of the form and character of a Bourrée, and the others would be better named Etudes in double notes, having all definite subjects and construction. The same may be said of Schumann's Toccata in C (op. 7), which is a capital study for practice, and is in sonata form. Contemporary musicians have given us two or three specimens of real Toccatas worth mention, prominent among them being that in G minor by Rheinberger, which is a free fugue of great boldness and power. The same composer has used the diminutive term Toccatina for one of a set of short pieces; and another instance of the use of this term is the Toccatina in E♭ by Henselt, a short but very showy and difficult piece. Dupont has published a little PF. piece entitled Toccatella. Toccatas by Walter Macfarren and A. H. Jackson may close our list of modern pieces bearing that name. [See Touch; Tucket.]

[ F. C. ]

1. (Dörffel's Cat. 816). In the old editions of this, Schumann has pointed out a host of errors. See 'Gesammelte Schriften,' iv. 69.
2. Both these—in D and F—are entitled 'Præludium (Toccata)'. Three Toccatas—in F with a fugue, in D minor, and in E with two fugues are printed in vol. 15 of the Bachgesellschaft edition.