Description
A trireme was one of the ancient world’s largest ships, employing three rows of oars maneuvered in tandem. Hand-over-hand crossings imitate the three banks of oars—low-middle-high. Stepped dynamics, repetition, and abrupt chord changes build tension and drive the relentless motion. A characteristic of toccatas is the use of a singular musical idea. The middle ‘layer’ of the right hand contains an up-and-down pattern. For contrast, a short interruption appears in measure 19 and returns multiple times throughout—its final occurance is extended to add unexpected, yet subtle, conclusive variety and tension. The form is through-composed.
