ABSTRACT
A tentative dating to about 1625 would explain the rather strong presence of recognizable Sweelinckian traits familiar from Heinrich Scheidemann toccatas and echo fantasias in particular. The originality is particularly evident when compared with the model for the piece, Scheldt's Toccata super 'In te Domine speravi', which in itself is the outcome of a process of making himself less dependent of Sweelinckian examples, as an earlier version of this piece demonstrates. Only one more toccata survives under Scheidemann's name, the Toccata in C WV 85. Although preserved in the very late Ihre tablature from 1679, it is undoubtedly an early work antedating WV 43. It stands much closer to the Sweelinckian example, taking the Amsterdam master's Targe' toccatas as its model, though Scheidemann is clearly intent on a renewal of the genre by aiming for greater transparency, compactness and an overall reduction of Sweelinck's rhythmical and textural contrasts.
