Toccata(2024)
Instrumentation
flute, clarinet, accordian, piano, violin, viola, cello
Duration
5 minutes 30 seconds
Date of Completion
April 9, 2024
There is a saying that there is nothing truly new in the world. I believe that the role of composers is to express the tradition of music, which has been passed down for thousands of years, in the most authentic way possible. Therefore, sometimes it may seem that composers are deeply engrossed in exploring new techniques, methods, or timbres while composing, but in reality, many musical devices have been developed from existing elements.
Contrary to the freedom I had experienced in previous works, in this piece, I focused on traditional musical elements such as form, harmony, and rhythm. I wanted to purely explore these traditional elements and unfold the composition in the direction that I wanted to hear the most. This work, titled 'Toccata' composed for Linea, was an attempt to challenge myself further. It is a piece where I expressed my own approach purely through musical elements, unlike previous works where inspiration came from non-musical elements.
Although there are no percussion instruments, I approached every instrument in my own way, as if I were listening to percussion instruments. I composed the piece by incorporating changes in harmony and rhythm, creating a sense of rhythm even without traditional percussion instruments.
Program notes
Dedication
Linea Ensemble
World Premiere
May 8, 2024 - Joe Byrd Hall, Baltimore, MD, United States
Ensemble Linea
conducted by Maestro Jean-Philippe Wurtz
Keiko Murakami, flute
Andrea Nagy, clarinet
Helena Sousa Estévez, accordion
Carolina Santiago Martínez, piano
Ernst Spyckerelle, violin
Laurent Camatte, viola
Johannes Burghoff, cello