Toccata, Literally Touched

A toccata is a type of musical composition that is meant to exhibit the performer's touch and technique. In Italian it is the feminine version of "touched." Running with these two ideas, I performed the first page of Soviet Armenian composer Aram Khatchaturian's Toccata by touching the page forcefully. The simultaneous thumpy and clacky sounds bring the idea of touch (the central idea of the piece) to the forefront of the mind. It also lends a whole new perspective on the idea of "feeling" the music.