toccata

[ tuh-kah-tuh; Italian tawk-kah-tah ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Music.

, plural toc·ca·tas, toc·ca·te [t, uh, -, kah, -tee, tawk-, kah, -te].

a composition in the style of an improvisation, for the piano, organ, or other keyboard instrument, intended to exhibit the player's technique.

toccata

/ təˈkɑːtə /

a rapid keyboard composition for organ, harpsichord, etc, dating from the baroque period, usually in a rhythmically free style

Origin of toccata¹

1715–25; < Italian: “touched,” feminine past participle of toccare touch

Origin of toccata¹

C18: from Italian, literally: touched, from toccare to play (an instrument), touch

Then it grows in strength, as if to compete with the Bach Toccata.

But in Bach's hands the toccata becomes one of the noblest and most plastic of forms.

Marise fumbled among the music on the piano and pulled out what they were working on, the Toccata in D minor.

But the music was not all to the tune of “A Toccata of Galuppi's.”

I wish you would send me Handel's six fugues and the toccata and fugues by Eberlin.

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