Description
Fine note values run without a break through this short G minor Toccata, which puts finger motion itself ahead of weight of harmony. The name comes from the Italian for touch, a kind of piece that shows off the fingers on the keys. In the Aylesford Pieces, a selection of Handel's keyboard music published from a noble family's manuscript collection, it sits between the gavotte and the fugue.
It is in 4/4, lasts under a minute and contains around 370 notes. The right hand has about 1.5 times as many notes as the left: the right is the centre of the fast figuration and the left supports it with bass notes and answering figures.
Rated intermediate, it asks you to play the fast figuration through at a steady tempo, which calls for independent fingers and even notes. Slow the playback to settle the fingering, then raise the speed section by section with the A-B loop. Use the hand colours to check the left hand's answering figures too. Nothing goes below D2 or above B-flat 5, so 61 keys are enough.
A collection of keyboard suites by Handel built mainly around dance movements such as allemandes and gavottes, with lively ornamented melodies and Baroque contrapuntal writing. It suits intermediate-to-advanced players who want to explore Baroque stylistic performance.
Browse all songs in Keyboard Suites →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
George Frideric Handel was a Baroque composer born in Halle, Germany, who later became a naturalized British citizen. Celebrated for the oratorio Messiah and his Italian-style operas, he also composed many keyboard suites and sonatas. Often mentioned alongside his contemporary Bach, his music is marked by accessible melody and stately grandeur. This site includes suite movements, minuets, and pieces from the Aylesford Pieces.
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