Toccata Concertante

This sprightly, eleven-minute work was Fine's first orchestral piece. Its effervescent surface texture, brisk rhythmic pulse, and concertante treatment of woodwinds recall the neoclassic Stravinsky. Indeed, critics often place Fine in an American "Stravinsky school" that also included Arthur Berger and Lukas Foss. Fine readily admitted a neoclassic element in his style, but his particular combination of innocence and elegance were uniquely his own. Critic Virgil Thomson wrote of the "grace" and "genuine prettiness" of this work. Fine earlier considered the titles "Sinfonia" and "Masque."





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This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to Boosey & Hawkes/Jennifer DeLapp.