Toccata Prestidigita (“fast fingers”) was written for pianist Monica Jakuc Leverett in 1997. The nearly-seven-minute work features traditional Baroque techniques, such as quick motor rhythm, invertible counterpoint and chord patterns. Some more modern elements include a touch of blues, rubato, ragtime syncopations and jazz chord timbres, along with a nod of homage to George Gershwin, all in a broadly suggested sonata form.
Comments by Karen Tarlow.