Fuga

I hope I am not repeating myself here, but I will try my best to give feedback.

- Some of the harmonic spellings here startle me, especially in the exposition, where the tonality was more pronounced. For example, the entry of the third voice at ms 8 has D#-D, which implies some form of chromatic harmony, although I understand you may want to keep the "sharpness" of the key, then why not use C double sharp, since the key is clearly D# minor? Also, I think I've mentioned about the voice leading at ms 7 - the alto should end at D#, because as the music currently stands this implies that the alto is making another subject entry (which it is not). The same harmonic issues occur at ms 11 - why not use F double sharp?

- I have also noted that you like to use stretto as a device. However, you seem to maintain the stretto sequence at length (e.g. 28, 41, 56, 68). Of course this is perfectly acceptable, but I thought you could have handled it with more variations, perhaps altering the timing of the entries from SAT to ATS and then TSA, with the first entry of each stretto distinct from the previous stretto, otherwise we would just have one long, elaborate sequence downwards or upwards (which may be what you intended, anyway) -just my opinion.

- I've always been curious about what form the piece takes, and the role of the chorale in structure. It's a little difficult to determine where the episodes start and end. For example, the episode from ms.14 has fragments of the subject, and ms 22 has a full subject entry, and 26 another subject entry fragmented across registers, so I am not sure if I should take ms 22 as a middle entry, or part of the said episode leading up to the stretto episode of the countersubject in ms 26. Ms 39 to 60 is a massive stretto of the subject, and 67 to 76 is a stretto of the diminished countersubject. At 76 we have a return of the material from the first episode. From 84 to 85 we have a very clever pairing of the augmented and diminished countersubject. Recapitulation probably starts from 95, where the subject is accompanied in syncopation with a chordal transformation of the countersubject. Thus formally this would look like :

Exposition-Episode-Stretto(CS)*-Stretto(S)-Chorale-Stretto(S)-Chorale-Stretto(CS)-Episode-Stretto(CS)-Chorale(Inverted)-Recapitulation

* perhaps too short to be considered in formal analysis

Interesting form - disregarding the asterisked section, the stretti are symmetric about about the same point, albeit with different sections. In terms of thematic culmination I would say the the climax of the piece lies in the inverted chorale. What do you think?

You are good in this style. Perhaps longer forte in climax would make it even better.
I do agree with John Bucket that you should perhaps use more contrasting polyphony when the theme is present (different registers, different motifs, different layers) but in general it's accomplished in structure.

This is great stuff, thanks for letting me hear this. You treat that row with care, that is for sure.

Great job! I know NOTHING about organ, so I don't know how helpful this review is. But I think you did a great job using the different stops and such, and a very clear subject and counter-subject. I enjoyed all the tempo changes, which added a lot of interest to the piece. Overall, I wouldn't change a note!

Keep composing!
Heckel

A strange augmented form of BACH's theme in his last fugue?
Has the same rhythm...
http://www.youtube.c...18&feature=plcp

Excellent work

Not particulary. I have studied quite some fugues, and it is said to have been an positive influence on my counterpointal writing. I didn't know this was 'indigineous' to certain forms. I feel like it is a mixture of fugal development in a sort of ABABA form. Is that what you mean?

@calle, I see some similarities, although three rising notes in a dotted rhythm is too little to be a direct quote or so. I didn't know that bach work. thanks for sharing

Very good organ writing. I don't understand the music though.

Very good organ writing. I don't understand the music though.

haha, thanks. Do you want me to explain?

Not particulary. I have studied quite some fugues, and it is said to have been an positive influence on my counterpointal writing. I didn't know this was 'indigineous' to certain forms. I feel like it is a mixture of fugal development in a sort of ABABA form. Is that what you mean?@calle, I see some similarities, although three rising notes in a dotted rhythm is too little to be a direct quote or so. I didn't know that bach work. thanks for sharing

Excuse me, i did not mean form as in architecture but rather the style of certain eccentric organ music composers in the romantic era such as Lizst's B-A-C-H fantasia. Somehow you managed to capture those strange era motifs in this work of yours.

Very well done! Beter than i, Do you play this in a church organ in some cathedral?

This is my computer playing. The concert was on this organ: http://www.debovenke.../847323eac1.jpg
During the concert one of the wrong stops was pulled out. Those things can happen, but it also influence the overal arch of the piece dramaticly, so I haven't put that one up.

I sort of shamelessly bump this one, as Connors Atonal Fugue has drawn quite some attention. I am going to see if i can find the live rendering, but because of the error of pulling out the wrong stop, the whole arch and build up is altered.

Some cool textures in here. I do have a few constructive criticisms though; I think rhythmic counterpoint could have been more developed. The majority of the lines move homorhythmically--making it seem more homophonic than you might intend. Also, there isn't a strong recognizable subject that is answered convincingly, making this piece not sound like a fugue at all. Fugues tend to have this aesthetic of being created from a single germ and the drama of the work is seeing how an idea can be developed to the highest degree of contrapuntal elegance. Akin to an architect constructing a cathedral from a single material. I do like the organ buildup around 6 min. Very intense. My last suggestion would be to form the dramatic narrative of the work so there is more of an arc. The form feels very episodic in nature, like a rondo.

 

I hope this helps!
Keep sending me stuff, I'm happy to listen and give feedback.
Dr. Nick