Trireme Toccata

By Tom Gerou

EARLY ADVANCED

TGM00009

The trireme, an ancient colossal ship, utilized three rows of oars in sync. This piece mirrors this with low-middle-high hand crossings. Dynamic shifts, repetition, and sudden chord changes create tension, reflecting relentless motion. Toccatas feature a central musical theme. The right hand’s middle layer showcases an up-and-down pattern. Interrupting briefly in measure 19, it recurs, adding subtle, unexpected variety and tension, culminating in the final stretch. This piece follows a through-composed structure.

It is a true virtuosic showstopper in a pleasant contemporary style. The choreography necessary for hand-over-hand gestures suggests that the piece be memorized section-by-section to aid in successful execution.

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