Toccata Undecima (Apparatus musico-organisticus, 1690)

Georg Muffat (1653-1704) combined a variety of styles from 17th century music in his compositions:

Born in Savoy, he received significant inspiration during his training in Paris, where he was surrounded by Jean-Baptiste Lully. He then lived and worked for a time in Alsace, then in Vienna, Prague and Salzburg. In 1680, during an extended study visit to Italy, he not only received organ lessons from Frescobaldi's pupil Bernardo Pasquini, but also met Arcangelo Corelli.

In his compositions - trio sonatas, suites, concerti grossi, sacred vocal music, operas and organ works - he combined these diverse influences with virtuosity and thus became a pioneering representative of the so-called "vermischter Stil" ("mixed style").

The synthesis of French and Italian elements can also be recognised in his organ collection "Apparatus musico-organisticus", published in 1690: In the Toccata Undecima, for example, parts reminiscent of Italian canzonas alternate with movement types in the manner of the French Plein Jeu or Grand Jeu. The piece consists of five parts, each with a distinct character, but which are subliminally linked by a common motivic substance. These cross-connections do not necessarily arise subtly between the memorable head motifs but between their continuations, so that a varied structure is created whose inner unity is perceptible even if it is not obvious.