Thanks for this extended, thorough exploration. I notice that in the variation’s penultimate bar the 4-part texture in the manuals adds a fifth voice, which essentially doubles the soprano a third below, so let’s call it Soprano II. On the third beat, this added voice creates parallel octaves with the alto (from G up to A), but I don’t really hear it except maybe as a slight loss of independence in the upper parts (yet Soprano II is not truly independent anyway so that mitigates the parallelism) -- it’s more like Augen octaves.
I’m guessing JSB allowed himself this tiny solecism for the sake of the fuller texture of the final two bars, maybe as a wink at the Mizler Society cognoscenti -- if anyone noticed, it obviously didn’t preclude JS’ membership in the club.
Thanks for your eye, Dave! Good spot. I have to cover the topic of parallels in the podcast. Were they actually forbidden, or is this our rewriting of the era? I've heard there are some 50 instances of parallel 5ths in the chorales...
Yes perfect parallels are discouraged in polyphonic music at least since the Renaissance (see Fux’ species counterpoint), but not categorically forbidden. In the long march toward homophony over the centuries, the taboo is gradually lifted so that eventually Debussy can use parallel perfect consonances more as pure color rather than as bad voice leading.
The exceptions in Bach, Beethoven and later often serve a programmatic purpose, for ex. where a chorale text speaks of sin or suffering.
Looking forward to whenever you get a chance to do an episode on the topic.
Thanks for this extended, thorough exploration. I notice that in the variation’s penultimate bar the 4-part texture in the manuals adds a fifth voice, which essentially doubles the soprano a third below, so let’s call it Soprano II. On the third beat, this added voice creates parallel octaves with the alto (from G up to A), but I don’t really hear it except maybe as a slight loss of independence in the upper parts (yet Soprano II is not truly independent anyway so that mitigates the parallelism) -- it’s more like Augen octaves.
I’m guessing JSB allowed himself this tiny solecism for the sake of the fuller texture of the final two bars, maybe as a wink at the Mizler Society cognoscenti -- if anyone noticed, it obviously didn’t preclude JS’ membership in the club.
Thanks for your eye, Dave! Good spot. I have to cover the topic of parallels in the podcast. Were they actually forbidden, or is this our rewriting of the era? I've heard there are some 50 instances of parallel 5ths in the chorales...
Yes perfect parallels are discouraged in polyphonic music at least since the Renaissance (see Fux’ species counterpoint), but not categorically forbidden. In the long march toward homophony over the centuries, the taboo is gradually lifted so that eventually Debussy can use parallel perfect consonances more as pure color rather than as bad voice leading.
The exceptions in Bach, Beethoven and later often serve a programmatic purpose, for ex. where a chorale text speaks of sin or suffering.
Looking forward to whenever you get a chance to do an episode on the topic.