Toccata Francese

Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter (Sept. 9, 1936 – Sept. 26, 2003) was a composer and organist. Born in Hargelsberg, Kropfreiter spent his school years from 1948 at the Catholic Bischöfliches Gymnasium Petrinum, where he received his first basic musical education. Immediately after graduation he entered the Augustiner-Chorherrenstift St. Florian in 1953, where he was initially taught music theory by Johann Krichbaum. From 1955 to 1960 he studied composition and organ at the Linz Anton Bruckner Private University and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. After completing his studies, he worked as an organist in Sankt Florian. Along the way he was also a teacher of the St. Florian Boys' Choir and, from 1966, director of the monastery choir (Regens Chori). Kropfreiter died in 2003 in Sankt Florian at the age of 68.

Kropfreiter created an extensive organ oeuvre and is thus one of the most important Austrian organ composers of the 20th century. He composed several orchestral works (organ concertos, 3 symphonies), masses, church music, choral music, chamber music and organ works (Toccata Francese, Signum, numerous chorale arrangements of varying degrees of difficulty), with which he achieved fame not only in Austria. In his compositions, he attached great importance to polytonality and Hindemithian counterpoint.

This is his Toccata Francese, a scherzo-like moto perpetuo. After an introductory whole-tone flourish, the first main theme enters. this is repeated several times with echo effects, and then the second theme enters fugally. There i a return to the opening material, and some combining of the two themes, the piece finally concludes with scalar flourishes and a restatement of the second theme and final resolution to D-major.

I've always wanted to learn this piece - maybe I will someday, but for now, a heavily-edited MIDI version. I first heard this work in a recording by the inimitable Peter Hurford. probably close to 40 years ago.