Toccata del primo tono

Hans Leo Hassler, 1564-1612, composed during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. This Nuremberg born composer/organist studied in Venice with Andrea Gabrieli in 1584, one of the first Germans to do so. So this toccata is in the German-Venetian style.

Hassler's toccatas typically begin with a few measures of sustained chords, making for solemn openings. This one is a great example of that style. The toccata section that follows is in the style of Gabrieli. Part two is a lengthy imitative/fugal section, yet still lively with its quarter and eighth note themes. Finally a toccata-like closing section rounds out the piece.

Performance wise, I've used early keyboard fingerings for the most part (as researched and published by Sandra Soderlund) and avoided the thumbs when it made sense. This makes for some very interesting articulations of the scales in the toccata sections. I only used the pedal for emphasis in the solemn opening chords and at the end.

Also of note--this composition is the one that Willi Apel includes as a paradigm of Hassler's toccatas in his "The History of Keyboard Music to 1700." Seeing that a major historian gives the piece such acclaim and prominence, I am surprised that this upload will be the first time it comes online. I can't find a YouTube video of it, and I believe it is a unique contribution to this site as well.