Beckel’s Toccata showcases the orchestra

Traditionally, a toccata is a showpiece for a soloist, often involving fast-moving music that requires light fingers. In the case of composer James Beckel’s Toccata, the entire orchestra is showcased.

Beckel’s website gives some interesting background on the piece:

“…in the 17th century, toccatas were typically improvisational preludes for church services often involving music that would sequence keys in fourths or fifths to see which notes on the organ might be malfunctioning, as they were unpredictable instruments at the time. This practice would inform the organist of which notes to avoid in the rest of the religious service. The composer decided to incorporate this musical idea into his toccata.”

Read more about Beckel’s Tocatta on his website. The piece, which premiered in 2007, will be performed by the Utah Symphony on this weekend’s program.