: a musical composition usually for organ or harpsichord in a free style and characterized by full chords, rapid runs, and high harmonies
Examples of toccata in a Sentence
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The more complex toccatas and fugues had the highest entropy, while simpler chorales had the lowest.
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Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
Johann Sebastian Bach's works were an ideal choice given the highly mathematical structure, plus the composer was so prolific, across so many very different kinds of musical compositions—preludes, fugues, chorales, toccatas, concertos, suites, and cantatas—as to allow for useful comparisons.
—Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
Some listened stoically, others bobbed their heads to toccatas by Dmitry Kabalevsky, Unsuk Chin, Sergei Prokofiev and Johann Sebastian Bach.
—Monica Hooper, arkansasonline.com, 19 Sep. 2024
In the middle of one conversation, the architect suddenly popped out of his chair, walked over to a Steinway and started to play a Bach toccata.
—David Rockwell, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023
On TikTok, Lapwood does get the occasional negative comment — such as a poster complaining about the expressively fluctuating tempo in her performance of a Bach toccata.
—Alex Marshall, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2022
Harpsichordist Esfahani applies meticulous scholarship to this process yet has produced a vivid recording built on animated performances appropriate to the toccata form.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 27 Nov. 2019
The knock-’em-dead toccata that ends the concerto represents a festive winter solstice gathering of Guarani ethnic groups who cover vast swaths of South America.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
The grandeur of the passacaglia, the urgency of the toccata and the majesty of the chorale reminded listeners of this work’s value.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 10 Oct. 2019
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Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
Johann Sebastian Bach's works were an ideal choice given the highly mathematical structure, plus the composer was so prolific, across so many very different kinds of musical compositions—preludes, fugues, chorales, toccatas, concertos, suites, and cantatas—as to allow for useful comparisons.
—Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024
Some listened stoically, others bobbed their heads to toccatas by Dmitry Kabalevsky, Unsuk Chin, Sergei Prokofiev and Johann Sebastian Bach.
—Monica Hooper, arkansasonline.com, 19 Sep. 2024
In the middle of one conversation, the architect suddenly popped out of his chair, walked over to a Steinway and started to play a Bach toccata.
—David Rockwell, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023
On TikTok, Lapwood does get the occasional negative comment — such as a poster complaining about the expressively fluctuating tempo in her performance of a Bach toccata.
—Alex Marshall, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2022
Harpsichordist Esfahani applies meticulous scholarship to this process yet has produced a vivid recording built on animated performances appropriate to the toccata form.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 27 Nov. 2019
The knock-’em-dead toccata that ends the concerto represents a festive winter solstice gathering of Guarani ethnic groups who cover vast swaths of South America.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
The grandeur of the passacaglia, the urgency of the toccata and the majesty of the chorale reminded listeners of this work’s value.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 10 Oct. 2019
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“Toccata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toccata. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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