Wendy Hiscocks' Toccata was composed in 1983---while she was studying with Peter Sculthorpe at Sydney University---in response to a workshop commission for the Sydney Schumann Society. The work was influenced by the composer's introduction to Indian raga, and by encouragement from Peggy Glanville-Hicks to concentrate on melody and rhythm. See a sample of the score.
Recordings of the work are available on audio cassette, played by Roy Howat (available from C&M), and on CD, played by Yvonne Lau (available from the Australian Music Centre or the Fellowship of Australian Composers), and by Sally Mays on disc 3 of the Canberra School of Music's Anthology of Australian Music (see Links Page below).
Several of Hiscocks' works feature in the ABC's CD archive of Australian music. Her Toccata is recorded by Yvonne Lau on a CD of Australian piano music published by the Fellowship of Australian Composers, and by Sally Mays on disc 3 of the Canberra School of Music's Anthology of Australian Music. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn has been recorded by Jeanell Carrigan on the disc Australian Post-1970 Solo Piano Works published by Vox Australis.
© Creativity & Music 1998.
The toccata was edited for HMP by Roy Howat, author of Debussy in Proportion and one of the editors of the Paris-based New Complete Debussy Edition. Roy is the husband of the composer, and he and Wendy tour extensively as a piano duo.
This piece is suitable for students of grade 8 level and higher, and professional pianists.
The composer biography and the programme note may be used with copyright acknowledgement in printed programmes.