Exposition of Fugue in D major - WIP

After the tense Halloween competition I needed some time to relax, and what better way to do that than to compose a new piece? So today, I'm taking the opportunity to present my first steps here as a “work in progress” in order to get feedback before I finish it (since it's sometimes difficult to incorporate suggestions after that).

First some background about the ideas I had in mind for this piece:

As often, I would take the challenge to use an odd meter, therefore here in 10/8 introducing a 5-beat rhythm. There were also some pieces in my mind which would influence the idea and texture of the fugue:

• In Leonhard Bernstein’s „Chichester Psalms“ there is a movement in 10/4 meter with very slow slurs, a slur spanning 5 notes, and below that 2 small slurs, each spanning 2 and 3 notes respectively.
  
  https://youtu.be/PnrZGTmMjYc?t=728
   
• On the other hand, Bach’s „Et in terra pax“ from the b minor mass also has that slow-flowing mood with tied second steps (while in 4/4 time) and is a wonderful example for the festive D major.
  
  https://youtu.be/p16wOPrX7Rk?t=104
   
• The third piece I had in mind is Bach’s G sharp minor fugue, BWV 887, from WTC2. It has a continuous texture of 8th notes (here in 6/8 time) and is a perfect example for rhythmic counterpoint in such a texture.
  
  https://youtu.be/1iHpPR9xzk8?t=115
   
• And there is the „funny“ fugue in A major from Shostakovich’s op 87 which has a subject which is usually not a real fugue subject since it consist only of very consonant chord arpeggios, however in the end it is a marvelous fugue with a wonderful harmony and texture!
  
  https://youtu.be/Qe1vF0bgmb4

So I present here the fugue exposition (and the first episode). The subject (in its first entry) is in D lydian, but modulates to a repetition of first motif in E major as the end of the subject (so its easy for the answer to enter in A major, finally modulating to b minor).

After the second entry of the subject there is a short codetta modulating to c sharp minor, so that the third entry of the subject in D lydian produces an interesting appearence as Neapolitan chord.

Apart from the harmony, it was a challenge for the counterpoint to find rhythmic patterns that create an interesting overall texture on the one hand, but do not destabilize the 10/8 rhythm on the other.

Hi @Wieland Handke!

It’s nice to see all those D major passages run into my favourite C sharp minor haha. Nice counterpoint, just beware that some C natural should be B sharp instead.

Henry

Happy New Year to Hongkong, @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu!

Since I was busy with the 2025 Christmas Event over the past few weeks, I haven’t had enough time to continue that piece – and therefore apologies for my silence – I think I will get back to this fugue in the new year.

Thanks for the advice concerning C natural vs. B sharp – haha, your C-sharp-minor-biased eyes are looking forward those things instantly. I will check it out thoroughly.

I agree with Henry that at least some of those C-naturals should be B-sharps, but really, this is wonderful.  Almost mesmerizing.  By all means, keep going!  

I never seen in fugue written 10 in Lydian.  Not until now. 

The entries of the subject and counter subject in the exposition are done wonderfully.  I see no counter point issues.  Counter point is one of the hardest things to master once we go through the basics..and fugue writing is excellent way to master that.  Those tritones between voices (C nat and B#) are hard to avoid in Lydian mode.  But, I think you can figure it out. 

Do not stop. Keep writing. 

Thank you, @J. Lee Graham and @Kvothe for your comments which are very inspiring and stimulating for me! Since you don’t find my 10/8 D lydian fugue exposition to weird, I’ll go forward with it and will share my progressions here as soon as possible.