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The short answer
A toccata with two substantially different beginnings. Toccata in C major, Op. 7 is a toccata by Robert Schumann from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 10, an estimate.
- toccata
- Romantic
- stormy
Also known as Schumann Toccata Op. 7 (Piano solo).
History
Schumann's own record says he began the Toccata in Heidelberg in 1830 and finished it in Leipzig in 1833. The published version appeared with Hofmeister in May 1834 and was dedicated to his friend Ludwig Schuncke. The early 1830 Exercice and the published Toccata are sufficiently different that a critical publisher presents them as distinct versions.
Sources
What to listen for
Rapid motion meets a sustained song
Compare the quick sixteenth-note texture with the sustained second theme, first heard in the lower part.
How to practise it
Distinguish the opening chord gesture from the quieter multi-voice motion that follows.
- Texture and dynamic contrast
- Multiple rhythmic layers
How hard is it
Rapid sustained figuration and demanding coordinated patterns require exceptional endurance, accuracy and relaxation.
About this piece
- Licence
- CC0
- Source
- musescore.com
More by Robert Schumann
- Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 1, MélodieLevel 2, estimatedOpen to everyone
- Träumerei, Kinderszenen Op. 15 No. 7Level 6, estimatedWith Maestro
