Toccata (Schumann)


The Toccata in C major, Op. 7 by Robert Schumann, was completed in 1830 and revised in 1833. The piece is in sonata-allegro form.
The work was originally titled Etude fantastique en double-sons, and was infamously referred to by Schumann as the "hardest piece ever written"—to this day it remains as "one of the most ferociously difficult pieces in the piano repertoire".
A series of alternating chords introduce the main theme. The development features rapid unison octaves and counterpoint. There is advanced chromaticism and syncopation throughout the work. A typical performance of this piece can last anywhere from six to eight minutes.
Schumann dedicated the work to his friend Ludwig Schuncke, who had dedicated his Grande Sonata in G minor, Op. 3, to Schumann. It is partially based on the Czerny Toccata in C major, which Clara Schumann spent much of her youth practicing.