The final installment of Speth's 10 toccatas is here, presented on 2 different instruments, nonetheless!
Again, the toccata is in three parts. The middle is a short fugal section once more, and it's my favorite theme of all ten, I have to say. I'd love to hear Bach develop this into a full piece.
This selection in A major is not a typical church mode key, and it's the second one with an "Allegro" indication in the set for the fugue. The beginning seemed very reminiscent to me of the elevations from Catholic masses of the time, and the final passage is very motivic and contains typical toccata scales.
For both organs, I used a registration typical of elevations for part 1, a gap or small principal registration that speaks clearly for the fugue, and a full registration for part 3.
The first organ you hear is a typical South German organ of the time. The second recording is from AVO's Szar, a Renaissance replica. I was so taken by the combination of principal and vox humana combination on this that I had to record the elevation-style section. Also, for fun, the 3rd part is full plenum with the zimbel added from the Szar Renaissance replica. The shimmer is spectacular. And since I was having fun in the second recording that's not so typical Speth, I went ahead and added the pedal posaune for the last two measures with additional ornamentation at the end.
0:00--IA's Pusztaszabolcs organ
3:08--AVO's Szar Renaissance replica organ
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