: a musical composition usually for organ or harpsichord in a free style and characterized by full chords, rapid runs, and high harmonies
Examples of toccata in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some listened stoically, others bobbed their heads to toccatas by Dmitry Kabalevsky, Unsuk Chin, Sergei Prokofiev and Johann Sebastian Bach.
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Monica Hooper, arkansasonline.com, 19 Sep. 2024
In the middle of one conversation, the architect suddenly popped out of his chair, walked over to a Steinway and started to play a Bach toccata.
—David Rockwell, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023
On TikTok, Lapwood does get the occasional negative comment — such as a poster complaining about the expressively fluctuating tempo in her performance of a Bach toccata.
—Alex Marshall, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2022
Harpsichordist Esfahani applies meticulous scholarship to this process yet has produced a vivid recording built on animated performances appropriate to the toccata form.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 27 Nov. 2019
The knock-’em-dead toccata that ends the concerto represents a festive winter solstice gathering of Guarani ethnic groups who cover vast swaths of South America.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
The grandeur of the passacaglia, the urgency of the toccata and the majesty of the chorale reminded listeners of this work’s value.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 10 Oct. 2019
The sun in my eyes and the beauty of the toccata threw me back to a time when there was no light in my life, despite the brightest sun shining in Tehran’s sky.
—Coastmag, Orange County Register, 31 Mar. 2017
In short, in Carroccia’s hands Hamelin’s toccata seemed a work of art, not an exercise.
—Olin Chism, star-telegram.com, 27 May 2017
Monica Hooper, arkansasonline.com, 19 Sep. 2024
In the middle of one conversation, the architect suddenly popped out of his chair, walked over to a Steinway and started to play a Bach toccata.
—David Rockwell, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023
On TikTok, Lapwood does get the occasional negative comment — such as a poster complaining about the expressively fluctuating tempo in her performance of a Bach toccata.
—Alex Marshall, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2022
Harpsichordist Esfahani applies meticulous scholarship to this process yet has produced a vivid recording built on animated performances appropriate to the toccata form.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 27 Nov. 2019
The knock-’em-dead toccata that ends the concerto represents a festive winter solstice gathering of Guarani ethnic groups who cover vast swaths of South America.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
The grandeur of the passacaglia, the urgency of the toccata and the majesty of the chorale reminded listeners of this work’s value.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 10 Oct. 2019
The sun in my eyes and the beauty of the toccata threw me back to a time when there was no light in my life, despite the brightest sun shining in Tehran’s sky.
—Coastmag, Orange County Register, 31 Mar. 2017
In short, in Carroccia’s hands Hamelin’s toccata seemed a work of art, not an exercise.
—Olin Chism, star-telegram.com, 27 May 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toccata.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Toccata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toccata. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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