Keyboard fugue

This is my first post - not really that interesting, but because I don't usually typeset my "free compositions" - I don't have many scores of my work on computer. This fugue (which is intended to be in the late Baroque style) was a course assignment for my BMus degree in the autumn term. See what you think - tutor was extremely happy.

Matt

Very good piece, sounds pretty.

I just didnt like the last measure, the ending, it sounded strange.

There's something wrong with the midi recording of the last measure - not sure why! It should just end on a f-sharp major chord as in the score. Just have to ignore it I guess!

Ok cool.

I haven't listentened to it yet (will do later) but from the score I can see that it has the subject of one of my favorite fugues from Bach's WTC book II.

Sure is a nice subject - and yep Bach's is an incredible fugue!

Don't expect it to be that good though...

Wow, this is one of the best fugues I've seen on this site. I don't know Bach's fugue on this theme well, but yours is certainly almost as good. Your style is pure Bach... which could be a good thing or a bad thing. I always love a chromatic theme, or in this case, countersubject. In fact, the countersubjects are my greatest issue with this fugue; I feel that past the exposition, the subject isn't interesting enough to be heard against the much more harmonically and rhythmically active countersubjects.

But overall this is superbly constructed; I only mention that the countersubjects outweigh the subject because I've had that problem myself :).

I'm working on a Baroque fugue of my own that I'll probably post in a few days, also with a prominent chromatic motive.

I particularly like the final chord - VERY late baroque, yes? :)

but I can definately see why your advisor was pleased.

Heh... check that last chord ;)

I thought it was well composed and progressed very naturally.

The way the last chord sounds is really strange since it's just an F# major chord.

Hehe everyone seems to be amused by that last chord. I don't know what the hell happened - a ghost in the midi or something. It should be an F sharp major chord, but there seems to be an a natural sounding at the same time.

Anyway thanks for the comments everyone glad you all liked it.

Bach ended a lot of his preludes & fugues in major when the rest of the piece was in minor. I don't know what the big hooplah is about. Nice piece, btw.

Bach ended a lot of his preludes & fugues in major when the rest of the piece was in minor. I don't know what the big hooplah is about. Nice piece, btw.

Did you listen to it?

The 'hoopla' isn't about the picardy third but rather the way it sounds in the audio file. I've had something similar happen to me (program was Finale notepad).

I'd be interested to know whether or not you listened to Bach's fugue first, or whether you went at it with a fresh ear. It's just that I seem to hear echoes of the second and third subjects of Bach's triple-fugue in F-sharp minor in your fugue. I do like it, but just to knock down that person who said this could pass for Bach (this isn't an insult, I just want to wax lyrical about Johann for a bit), in Bach's treatment we have:

1) The story of Jesus' passion

2) His signature, which highlights the most important section of the piece.

3) References to two other fugues (the first with a subject and answer with all 12 chromatic tones, the second will all twelve in the subject alone)

4) Three subjects and hence. . .

5) A counterexposion and triple exposition, which form:

6) A triple-fugue, with three expositions.

I really liked this piece, but I know Bach's F# minor fugue too well to really admire this. I don't know. . . . *anything* would pale in comparison.

It is said that Carl Sagan (the famous astrophysicist) was consulted on which music the Voyager 2 team should place inside the extra-planetary spaceship, and the final list included Bach. Carl was asked by someone whether they should just throw out all the other composers and give the aliens Bach alone, to which he purportedly replied "Well now, we wouldn't want to show off, would we?"

P.S As for the cadence, Bach was old fashioned in that he didn't like minor cadences. Very little early baroque music has minor cadences - you'll hear tierce de picardies and bare octaves instead (mediaeval music would have bare fifths).

I agree with pretty much everything you've said. The fugue by Bach on this subject is one of the best ever written. I actually wouldn't let myself play through it until I'd written mine - I think any "echoes" you can hear are just echoes of Bach's contrapuntal writing in general.

But comparison isn't really the point! It's just a fugue on the same subject - and as such was just an exercise, and there was a structure we had to keep to (i.e. one subject, and a particular key structure etc.)

One thing this fugue does have that the original doesn't is invertible countersubjects (two sets) and an episode in triple invertible counterpoint - which, of course, Bach uses in other fugues.

Seriously though, this fugue was really awesomely good. I'd be impressed if you were the tutor, and had written it to demonstrate the tenets of fugue-writing. My only slight criticism of it is that the subject itself doesn't jump out at you much after the exposition. One of the most thrilling things in a fugue is hearing the subject entering excitingly. . . . and unfortunately we only get that gimmick a few times. It's usually lost slightly in the texture (maybe it's the MIDI's fault).

If you're exploring the F# Minor original however, be sure to listen to the

C# minor, F minor and B minor fugues in Book I. Almost all the material in the F# minor fugue is taken from them, and together they form an intricate Lutheran puzzle.

B minor book 1 is my favourite fugue ever. That episode with the 9th suspensions!

It's just brilliant isn't it! What's so amazing is the way a tune and sense of musicality is maintained in such a fiercely organised and mathematical composition. It just goes to show the degree to which order and creativity and intertwined. The B-minor Book I fugue also has the most beautiful episodic sequences ever, and Bach likes it so much he reuses it in the other passion fugues. . . . the subject is also really similar to the F-minor book I piece, and if you plot them against one another you can see how they're linked. It's all so fantastically brilliant.

My favourite fugue to play is the D minor one with the really agitated triplet-based subject.

If you've not checked out the following website, I urge you to do so. Animated fugues. It's all so exciting (although some of the analysis seems irrelevant, it really does uncover stuff that I'd have totally missed otherwise, and the timelines are very helpful and allow one to concentrate on the music):

Well-Tempered Clavier: analysis, scores, and digital sound

Bach almost persuades me to become a Christian.

I have heard that subject before. Is it one of the ones in F-Minor by Bach? It was nicely developed, though there were a few spots that could use fine-tuning.

Sorry, I read the other posts. Never mind.

fine tuning?

I think it's well-tempered enough as it is.

What a lovely fugue!:P

And great website, Zetetic.:)

A pretty nice fugue there.

The last chord on the ending made me crack up laughing though...

Anyways, nice work. :P

Jer

gee whiz, that's really good! Have you heard Bach's fugue in G minor, it's rather excellent!