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INTERPRETATIVE NOTES ON TOCCATA MARZIALE

Tim Reynish, from a lecture given at WASBE in Cincinnati, 2009

The Toccata is difficult rhythmically, not because of complex of diverse meters, but in the sophisticated placement of simple fundamental rhythmic impulses and in the constant demand for vitality of tonal production in their precise execution.

Frederick Fennell

The Toccata Marziale is, or rather might have been, a mould breaking work for the military band; it was the first movement of a proposed Concerto Grosso, one of the very first works in which a composer broke away from the concept of the military band original repertoire being mainly a vehicle for ceremonial, for a string of folk tunes, or short-breathed melodic ideas based on folk origins. This work is one of the most varied pieces in the repertoire in terms of counterpoint and variety of phrasing, and our challenge is to make this all work, and also conspire to develop a real balance and blend between the different instrumental colours with a real appreciation of the dynamic range and articulation - without it being too mannered or academic. Many of these phrases overlap by one beat but below is a suggested analysis.

I would suggest that you white out the additional parts, bass clarinet, soprano and baritone saxophones, then put the original numbers which give you a section and phrase structure. Below I have suggested an architecture for the four big fortissimo moments – make sure that you build carefully – keep it light otherwise.

BAR/S	OLD VERSION WITH FIGURES	PHRASING SUGGESTIONS
1 - 4	Bars 1-4	Introduction - Normal four bar phrase, culminating on 1^st and 2^nd beat o bar 4
5 - 8	Figure 1 – Figure 2	EXPOSITION FIRST SECTION = Another four measure phrase
9 – 11	Figure 2 for 3 bars	3 bars of mixed meters 7/8 7/8 2/4
12 – 15	3 before Figure 3	2 bars of 5/4, resulting in next phrase starting on 2^nd beat
15 – 22	Figure 3 for 8 bars	8 bar phrase beginning one beat out, canons in 18 and 19 still one beat out but eventually righting itself bar 20/ 2 before 5 with first big FF
		SECOND SECTION – more lyrical theme with countersubject
23 – 26	Bar after 5 for 4	4 bar phrase – should the cornet double the oboe? ..or balance?
26 – 30	4 before 6	Answering 4 bar phrase – does it start in 6/8?
30 – 32	Figure 6 for 2 bars + 2 beats	Same theme in woodwind but could now be construed as in 3/8 3/8 3/8 2/8 2/4
32 – 34	3 before 7	Answered in basses possibly in 3/8 3/8 3/8 5/8
34 – 36	Pickup to 7 to bar 2	Firmly and triumphantly triple time breaking into
37 -40	6 before Figure 8	6/8 8/8 8/8 NB the 8/8 bars are each 3 + 3 + 2
41 – 43	3 before Figure 8	Starting on the upbeat two bars of 5/4 embracing canons in ¾
44 – 47	1 after 8 for 4 bars	Theme back in triple time, then 6/8 then 2 bars triple but note the canon – NB I ask syncopated 8ths to be tenuto - hear difference
48 - 53	3 bars before 9 – 3 bars after 9	Main theme stated in augmentation – second big FF which sets up a great six bar diminuendo to molto pp accompagnato
From 51	Figure 9	DEVELOPMENT FIRST SECTION
54 – 57	4^th of Figure 9 - 10	7 bar phrase built of a 4 bar and an answering 3 bar – I invite 3^rd clart, alto sax, horns and euphonium to take a really low mf/p
61 – 64	Figure 10 for 4 bars	Texture is thicker for this 2 bar phrase answered by 2 bars so again I invite all soloists to think piano and to blend
65 – 68	4 before 11	Normal 4 bars of two 2 bar phrases – not an important forte
69 – 71	Figure 11 for 2 bars	Phrase overlaps into the third bar , basically 3/4. + 8/8
71 – 74	3 bars + 2 beats before 12	One bar of 5/4 followed by 2 bars of 6/8
75 – 78	Figure 12 for 4 bars	Modulatory passage in E major – feel of 2/4 – Revelli “notes not quite touching”
78 – 84	6 before Figure 13	Two bars of 5/4 followed by 3 bars of 3/4 ….
85 – 90	Figure 13 – 14	Two bars of 5/4 followed by two bars of triple time
		DEVELOPMENT SECOND SECTION
90-93	Figure 14 for 3 bars	Lowest point – very difficult to get it pp and with clarity
94-95	2 before 15	F# Minor 2 bar phrase Low point mf but tutti p or pp
96-99	Figure 15	A minor 4 bar phrase
100-102	6 before 16 for 2 bars	7/8 5/8 and a triple bar
103- 105	3 before 16	5/4 bar followed by 4/4
106-108	Figure 16 for 3 bars	3 bars of canons
109-16	8 before 18	Eight bar phrase ending on Figure 18, imitation moving through wide range of keys – very hard to control crescendo
		RECAPITULATION
116-120	End of 18 – 5^th bar	Reprise of second theme from Bar 22 – 26, Figure 5, this time fortissimo instead of piano - PENULTIMATE FF
120-124	Bar after 18 for 4 bars	Answering 4 bar phrase – does it start in 6/8?
124 - 138	Figure 19 – 4^th measure of 20	These fourteen bars are an exact repeat of Figure 6 – Figure 8, 30 - 44
138-146	4^th of 20 to 21	6+ 3 bars phrase, beginning triple time – 8/8 – 6/8, canon extended sequentially – 2/4 2/4 and four bars of triple time.
		CODA
147-152	Figure 21	Six bars of triple time or nine bars of 2/4 – ostinato on Gb with canonic a in Gb – D
153-156	5 bars before the end	Two bars of 2/4 whole tone scale over an augmented 5th
157	2 measures before end	16^th notes for two beats and final statement of main motif FINAL AND BIGGEST FF

ERRATA IN BOOSEY AND HAWKES 2005 EDITION OF TOCCATA MARZIALE

Tim Reynish – Monday 6^th July 2009. Cincinnati

I am grateful to Dr. Jessica Kun of Wilfrid Laurier University for bringing many of these errata to my attention in her edition completed for her DMA at Arizona State University. I have compared the four scores available, the 1924 and 2005 editions from Boosey and Hawkes, Dr. Kun’s score and the original Vaughan Williams. I have tabulated the following errata in the new edition; wrong notes and other major mistakes highlighted. Other errata are articulation and dynamic markings which I think are usually taken from the original Boosey and Hawkes edition of 1924 and are often misleading.

EDITORIAL CHANGES

I have added an editorial anacrusis for the bassoons1 before 8 and 3^rd after 20 to make them conform with the basses. In the third bar of Figure 6 there is a discrepancy in the original score between oboe, clarinet and cornet, and I have decided to have an E natural concert pitch for the first beat followed by an Eb for the rest of the bar. Some of the other discrepancies have stemmed from editorial decisions, but there are unfortunately about twenty five mistakes in the new Boosey and Hawkes edition. I have given bar numbers and the figures of the 1924 version.

For the performance by the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Ensemble on July 8^th we used an updated version of the edition by Dr. Kun.

Bar no.	Figure	Bar	Problem
Bar 4	1	1 before	Staccato omitted in brass upbeat
Bar 8	2	1 before	Bassoons lines omitted
Bar 8	2	1 before	Tenor saxophone last note should be F not A
Bar 11	2	3 after	Crescendo notated 1 beat too early
Bar 17	3	3 after	Side Drum Crescendo omitted
Bar 18	3	4 after	3^rd clarinet wrong notes 2^nd eighth note should be D natural, 6^th should be Bb
Bar 22	5		All parts diminuendo should be from 2^nd eighth note
Bar 22	5		Bassoon 1 should be piano not mf
Bar 25	5	4 after	All parts crescendo should be last beat, not whole bar
Bar 26	6	4 before	2^nd Clarinet has no note in this bar – col cornet 2 starts in the next bar in the original score
Bar 32	6	3 after	Oboe 4^th semi should be E natural 7^th and 9^th Eb Score has E natural throughout_
Bar 32	6	3 after	Clarinet 2 4^th semi should be F#. 7^th and 9^th F natural (Score has F# throughout)
Bar 32	6	3 after	Trumpet should have F# not natural (Score has F natural)
	7	1 before	Bass trombone, euphonium and tuba slur from second sixteenth ote
Bars 37/38	7	Bars 3 -4	Basses should be legato 2^nd & 3^rd and 5^th and 6^th eighth notes
Bar 38	7	4^th after	Triangle rhythm should be quarter note eighth note rest quarter note eighth note rest
Bars 39/40	7	Bars 5 & 6	Basses should be legato 4^th and 5^th and then first 2 eighth notes
Bar 43	8	1 before	Bassoons editorial addition of upbeat Ab
Bar 45	8	2^nd bar	Crescendo eighth note early
Bar 48	9	3 before	Timpani and Percussion forte not ff
Bar 50	9	1 before	Diminuendo eighth note too early
Bar 51	9		4^th Horn should have a D instead of
Bar 51	9		Cornets piano first beat
Bar 53	9	3 after	Tutti diminuendo last quarter note
Bar 54	9	4^th bar	Tuba first eighth note is G
Bar 64	10		2^nd bassoon legato ends on 2^nd beat of 4^th bar
Bar 60	10	1 before	Dimuendo from beat 1
Bar 65	10	5 after	Trombone 1 should be D not C
Bar 67	10	7 after	Trombone 1 tacet for 1 bar
Bar 68	11	1 before	Alto saxophone should be tacet for 1 bar
Bar 69	11		Second bassoon starts on 1^st beat with a D eighth note
Bar 75	12		Clarinet phrasing wrong for 4 bars
Bar 75	12		Bass trombone should be B not G
Bar 82	13	3 before	Second bassoon should have B natural not Bb
Bar 84	13	1 before	1^st clarinet second eighth note should be G# not Gb
Bar 91	14		Trombone second entry should be p not pp
Bar 91	14		Tubas should be p not pp though euphonium is pp
Bar 95	15	1 before	Upper woodwind diminuendo should be last quarter note
Bar 103	16	3 before	Cornet 1 should be Bb not G
Bar 103	16	3 before	Side drum add ruff before bar
Bar 111	17	1 before	Oboe an octave too low
Bar 111	17	1 before	Tubas omit 2^nd eighth note
Bar 113	17	2^nd bar	Trombones crescendo last quarter note
Bar 114	18	2 before	2^nd clarinet should play eighth note F# then 2 eighth note rests
Bar 121	19	3 before	Timps should have eighth note on 1^st beat followed by 2 eighth note rests
Bar 124	19		1^st cornet should be E not G
Bar 124	19		4^th horn should have 2 bars of dotted half note A, as at 6
Bar 123	19	1 before	2^nd cornet should have C# not natural according to piano score
Bar 137	20	3^rd bar	Bassoons insert Ab anacrusis
Bar 147	21		Clarinet should diminuendo on last quarter note
From 155	End	Last 3 bars	Eb clarinet, oboe, both saxes and 1^st clarinet phrasing could be changed to fit the original
Bar 155	End	3 before	Side drum should have crescendo
Bar 158	End		Cymbals stroke missing

jessica.kun@gmail.com timreynish@tiscali.co.uk