A Question on fuge technique..

Hello, I'm trying to get the hang of composing fuge's, in this case subject 5 of the fuge challenge. Underneath you'll find a study on how the subject relates to itself in a canonic way. This is be no means a composition, it predominantly consists of multiple copies of the subject . I just wanted to see how well or bad the effect might be. It already resulted in those ugly 5ths but that is not what matters now. I altered the subject melody(ies) to make harmonie / counterpoint work. Is this allowed in a fuge? How far can I stretch altering the subject before it becomes an imitation?

study subject 5.mp3

My understanding is that is its acceptable occasionally to change the degree of an interval in the subject, and it is in most cases acceptable to do so diatonically (you have done both in your first answer in the bass), but changing the pattern is forbidden. I wish I could give an example, but I can't think of a good one right now.

OK, thank you, I will keep the alterations on a modest level.. pom pom pom pom

(I got tickets to a concert of Lang Lang in "The Concert Gebouw" in Amsterdam on the 30th, so I'm very happy right now. ;) )

He, een Nederlander! :)

Join the club ;)

Oeh, gezellie :D

It is acceptable to vary the latter part of the subject in a fugue. Of course this is not a display of great skill. It will be a sacrifice and your goal will be a perfect subject. If your subject is going to be imperfect you better gain something else as compensation. At least in the exposition.

If there are multiple expositions of the same subject I guess in the second one or third one the rules can be lessened a bit. And in the development, incomplete subjects are common. An incomplete subject is better than none at all.

Also, a tonal subject as opposed to a real subject isn't really considered a imperfection but just a choice.

At least these are my views.