Toccata in C major, Op. 92

C.9 Make a substantial toccata a musical argument

Prepare Czerny’s complete Toccata in C, Op. 92, a concert study from the nineteenth century. Identify its melodic direction, harmonic goals and changes of texture before increasing speed. Compare a reduction with the full passage, then make a complete performance in which the technical surface remains subordinate to the phrase. Use the result to choose a specific next practice target rather than repeating the whole work faster.

Ideas

• Character pieces and genres
• Virtuoso figuration
• Long-range lines
• Performance and recovery

Theory cards

• Finding the line in figuration
• An interpretation you can test

Technique

• C major scale in double thirds, hands together, 2 octaves (faster: Concert tempo)
• C major repeated notes across the octave, hands together
• C major octaves in groups, hands together (faster: Concert tempo)