Various - Richard Blackford: Toccata for solo piano

The inspiration for my Toccata was the pervasive dotted rhythm found in the third variation of the second movement of Beethoven�s Piano Sonata 32 Opus 111, which commentators have described as a recursor to swing music. Constructed in reverse sonata form the opening dotted theme is made up entirely of major and minor thirds, implying an Fsharp minor/F-sharp major tonality. A contrasting motif, repeated G-sharps, forms the second subject on top of the persistent dotted rhythm. In the development section the main theme is presented in canon and soon leads to a thundering version of the repeated G-sharps, now in pounding octave bass with heavy right hand syncopation. The principle theme begins a series of transformations, expanding its major/minor thirds to fourths, and fifths. After a short interlude marked Andante the �pounding theme� reappears softly at first, heralding the recapitulation. A new motif in 'pushed' jazz rhythm leads to an accelerando and extended re-statement, before the principle theme bursts through in the bass, then in full two part counterpoint before cascading downwards to an exuberant conclusion.