The Toccatas, BWV 910–916, are a series of toccatas composed by JS Bach for keyboard sometime in the early 18th century.
No autograph manuscript of the toccatas survives. They appear in many student copies of Bach's work, though no one manuscript contains all seven pieces. The toccatas are instead linked by their form, which is usually composed of four parts:
Not all the toccatas follow this pattern, however. For example, the toccata in G major is in three sections and more reminiscent of the concerto form.
The two fugal parts are more a single fugue: they share the same subject and tempo (though the second part introduces a new countersubject). In addition, the second adagio is less than a single bar in length.
The D major toccata was the first to gain commercial exposure, being recorded by harpsichordist Wanda Landowska in the early 20th century.
The Toccatas, BWV 910–916, are a series of toccatas composed by JS Bach for keyboard sometime in the early 18th century.
No autograph manuscript of the toccatas survives. They appear in many student copies of Bach's work, though no one manuscript contains all seven pieces. The toccatas are instead linked by their form, which is usually composed of four parts:
Not all the toccatas follow this pattern, however. For example, the toccata in G major is in three sections and more reminiscent of the concerto form.
The two fugal parts are more a single fugue: they share the same subject and tempo (though the second part introduces a new countersubject). In addition, the second adagio is less than a single bar in length.
The D major toccata was the first to gain commercial exposure, being recorded by harpsichordist Wanda Landowska in the early 20th century.