Instrumentation: for keyboard instruments
Dedication: Hans Stockmeier, organist of the Maximilianskirche – Munich
First execution | Interpreters: Nr.1 a: 1.11.2013 – Maximilianskirche in Munich – Hans Stockmeier, organ
Other Performances: 2015 – Peterskirche in Munich – Paolo Oreni, organ | 2017 – Martinskirche Stuttgart – Gabriele Marinoni, organ | 2018 – Marienkirche Lübeck – Johannes Unger, organ | 2018 – Alghero Cathedral – Giovanni Solinas, organ – 15. 08 | 2018 – Madrid Philharmonie – Johannes Unger, organ | 2018 – Michaelskirche of Munich – Johannes Unger, organ | 2019 – 2020 – Church of S.Maria della Salute in Venice – Paola Talamini, organ | 10.10.2020 – Maximilianskirche in Munich – Konstantin Esterl, organ | 2023 – Deutsches Museum München – Paolo Oreni | 2024- St.Michaelis – Hamburg – Paolo Oreni, organ |
Edition: Benaglia-Edition
Description: this organ piece entitled “Toccata Marina” was written on the occasion of the baptism of my daughter Marina as a postlude to the Holy Mass in which the baptismal liturgy took place.

The noun “marina”, in the Italian language, as well as being a proper name, also defines a place located near the sea, or even, in painting, a painting depicting a sea landscape. In addition, the adjective marine qualifies a female noun that has to do with the sea. Thus the idea of a “Toccata marina” was born, that is, a piece for organ dedicated to the sea and, at the same time, thanks to the play on words, also to my daughter.

I was inspired by the last ferry trip between Olbia and Livorno, returning from the summer holidays spent in Sardinia with my family. The sea was rough (hence also the quotation in time of the song), the wind occasionally rose violent lashing like a whip and the sea water rose occasionally in the form of splashes of foam up to the bridge. These images and the feelings connected to them were the inspiration for this piece. The toccata is in ABAC form (I then noticed by chance that in Italian, this abbreviation sounds like a dedication to the greatest organ composer of all time).

The A parts are characterized by ascending formations which, although they are to be performed rhythmically in sestine, technically they are presented in groups of three notes to be performed alternating between left and right hand. The resulting movement of the arms gives the piece also physically a wavy movement in direct relation to the title. Part B is instead characterized by the lashing of the chords of the right hand (the wind) in evidence on the continuous murmur of the left hand and the dramatic progression presented by the pedal. Part C, less dramatic than part B, tries to express the safe and calm sliding of the ship on the rough sea and in the impetuous wind. The piece then closes with a very short coda in which the three sestine models used during the various parts of the piece are briefly repositioned.

Apart from a few bars, from the beginning to the end the formations in sestine are continuous and non-stop, just as the waves one after the other break on the shoreline are implacable.

The dynamics are quite simple and with well-defined blocks of sound on the two keyboards and on the pedalboard, with a continuous crescendo from beginning to end.

For the performance on an instrument with a reduced pedalboard and a single manual, I leave the performer to transpose the left hand to the lower octave and return to the pedal when necessary, as suggested by his artistic sensibility.

(from preface to edition)