This movement is so much fun to play-----even though it moves very rapidly, the pattern feels very good in the hand, and almost "plays itself" after awhile. I might add that the Toccata also works beautifully for a small hand. There are only 6 octaves in the entire piece (all LH) and in each case, the upper note could be easily eliminated and the effect will not be compromised. I have marked this movement "allegro e molto ritmico", so it needs to have an extremely rhythmical and "driving" energy throughout. Give a little extra ""pulse to the strong beat of each measure. Students should practice blocking out the RH alone with the exact fingering indicated in the score-----once this is secure in the hand, the broken triad patterns will feel easy! The C#'s of the LH in ms. 1-2 allow for more relaxation in the RH and also make it easier to play faster with less effort. Please follow the pedal markings as the piece will sound crisper, cleaner, and much more exciting if the performance is not marred by excessive pedal. As always, follow the dynamic indications as well, especially in ms. 22 when the opening theme recurs an octave lower.
