Lecture 10-Fugues

Fugue:
Most significant and representative compositional process to emerge from the
Baroque era
Not a form of a piece with a rigid structure
It is a procedure in which a theme can be manipulated in different ways
The only consistent feature of fugues is the way they all begin, with an
exposition

Fugues
Texture: Polyphonic, imitative but non strict





Constructive aspects of a fugue:
Monothematic work
o There is only one theme (subject) throughout the entire fugue
even though it sounds as though there might be more
Subject is a special constructed melody that can be dissected,
manipulated and reintegrated
o Which means that the subject can be inverted, cut up and sung by
different voices
North German composers have composed some of the most expressive
yet polyphonically intense as well as technically accomplished fugues
(Bach)
o This is because they incorporate the memorable and tuneful
melody of Italian composers with the German spirituality,
complexity and virtuosity
o As a result, the fugues composed by them were expressive and
polyphonically intense.
Texture
Monophonic
(PLAINCHANTS)
Polyphonic
Imitative
Strict (CANON)
Non strict
(FUGUES)
Non imitative
Homophonic

Lecture 10-Fugues


Components of fugues:
Exposition:
The subject is introduced successively in each of the voices
o Voices could mean instruments as well
There is an equal balance between all the voices to create a polyphonic
texture instead of homophonic, all voices are of equal importance
Once in, the voice does not repeat the subject over and over again, the
melody is not cyclical like Row row row your boat. (A fugue is non strict
imitative which means the subject does not necessarily have to be
repeated)
It continues with a complementary melody, or a counter subject which is
derived from the subject of the fugue
When the voices enter, they must be either the highest or lowest voice so
that it is easier to distinguish the entries of voices
SAB, ASB, ABS BAS

The Baroque tuning system was to make a standard system for the rise of
functional harmony so everyone used the same tuning system
The growing expressive demands created a need for greater pitch resources
more than the 7 pitches of Pythagorean pitches
Circle of Fifths:
Problem- if one moves up a perfect fifth from a given pitch, they would
never arrive at the pitch they started at
Solution-all the fifths are shortened (tempered) and so that one would
arrive back at the note that they started on
Two tempered systems
Mean tone -each key had a slightly different sounding tuning system
because some fifths would be shortened more
Equal temperament- al fifths shortened by same amount, created a
completely symmetrical 12-pitch scale

Bachs and Handels Fugue
Both have a tuneful yet annoying(stands out) memorable melody
Easy to tell when the subject is played by each voice
Once it starts, it does not seem to stop
Just a jumble of tune and ideas