top of page

Fugue 3

In a very rounded form, Bach opens and closes the fugue in three statements of the subject in three voices and one more statement of the theme. The middle of the fugue is developed through reduction of three voice texture into two lines, by subsequent rather than concurrent interaction of the voices. As we look forward to the fourth prelude and fugue, which features 5 contrapuntal lines, the third set has struck a frustrating bone in my body.. It has suddenly occured to me that we are talking about vocal lines written for a very percussive instrument. Moreover, imitation and canon are at the heart of writing multi-voice fugues, which by definition reduces them back to a single subject accompanied by some counter-line. Will 5 voices make any difference to our minds?

6 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Prelude 4

Somehwere in literature I've seen this Prelude and Fugue pair actually referred to as a double fugue and justly so.. The cruciform melody foreshadows the main subject of the Fugue. The rounded descend

Prelude 3

What if somebody told you that there is a note you didn't know about, an entire tonality you never heard or used? That is what C# tonality was like during Bach's time - seldom heard until the Well Tem

Fugue 2

Certain pitches draw my attention more than the others. The D Major harmony in Fugue 1 marked a climactic point. Now in Fugue 2, the lowest pitch of the bass again arrives in measure 20. It is precede

bottom of page