Composer

:

Johann Jacob Froberger

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Toccata

Compose Date

:

before 1649

Publication Date

:

1649

Average_duration

:

3:43

Johann Jacob Froberger was a German Baroque composer and keyboard player who lived from 1616 to 1667. He was one of the most important keyboard composers of his time, and his music had a significant influence on later composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach. Froberger's Toccata No. 2 in D minor, FbWV 102, is a keyboard work that was composed in the mid-17th century. The exact date of composition is not known, but it is believed to have been written sometime between 1649 and 1656. The Toccata No. 2 is a single-movement work that is characterized by its virtuosic keyboard writing and its use of improvisatory elements. The piece begins with a bold and dramatic opening section that features fast, cascading arpeggios and rapid-fire runs up and down the keyboard. This section is followed by a more lyrical and expressive middle section that features a slower tempo and more melodic writing. The Toccata No. 2 is notable for its use of chromaticism and its complex harmonic language. Froberger was known for his innovative approach to harmony, and this piece is a good example of his use of unexpected chord progressions and dissonant harmonies. The Toccata No. 2 was likely intended for performance on a harpsichord or clavichord, which were the most common keyboard instruments of the time. However, it can also be played on a modern piano. The Toccata No. 2 was not published during Froberger's lifetime, and it was not widely known until the 20th century. Today, it is considered one of Froberger's most important keyboard works, and it is frequently performed and recorded by pianists and harpsichordists.

More....