Awesome episode! The half tone version of the theme in the Arnstadt bass voice rumbling in the back of my head all day long. Sorry to bug but I can‘t find the MIDI file on the link attached. Is it really there?
Nice job, thanks. Love the (Wolfgang Amadeus) Modartt.
I wonder if JSB's triple/quadruple fugues are ALSO the first of their kind in history..
The tonal answer in the first fugue is unlike ANYTHING I know of in JSB or anywhere else. The five notes of the very opening contain two pitches, C & G. The theme continues by repeating the first four notes exactly (same C & G of course). Now, when the second voice enters, WHY are the first five notes a REAL answer while the next part of the theme -- corresponding to the SAME pitches (C/G) of the first voice -- suddenly a TONAL answer?! As you know, the half step G/Ab is extremely conspicuous -- maybe TOO conspicuous to use twice in a row, especially given the A-flat's longer duration (longer than the preceding eigths and as a dotted quarter, longer than the opening's quarter)? When I imagine A-flat in both iterations (first group of five notes, then the next four) of the answer, as in a "proper," consistent tonal answer, my mind's ear finds it a bit tedious or at least very eccentric, so I'm glad he broke the rule in this case.
Thanks! It's a very special fugue. I love the tonal answer and how the countersubject is a short canon that clashes with the A-flat. Very clever and I agree unique to his output.
Hi Evan
Awesome episode! The half tone version of the theme in the Arnstadt bass voice rumbling in the back of my head all day long. Sorry to bug but I can‘t find the MIDI file on the link attached. Is it really there?
Dear Leopoldo, the link in the post is meant to link to the sheet music of this fugue, but I have hunted down a MIDI file for you (though myself have not inspected to see if it is any good.) Try this: https://www.kunstderfuge.com/-/midi.asp?file=bach/organ_major_works_bwv-574_(c)luquet.mid
Soprano and Alto voices are recorded in one track - otherwise the file is good, good enough for me at any rate! Many thanks Evan!
p.p.s. When I wrote of the 1st fugue subject, I meant the pitches are C and E-flat, not C and G -- sorry for the typo
p.s. just posted a new, brief post on Bach's rhythm compared to Handel:
https://substack.com/inbox/post/139853525
Nice job, thanks. Love the (Wolfgang Amadeus) Modartt.
I wonder if JSB's triple/quadruple fugues are ALSO the first of their kind in history..
The tonal answer in the first fugue is unlike ANYTHING I know of in JSB or anywhere else. The five notes of the very opening contain two pitches, C & G. The theme continues by repeating the first four notes exactly (same C & G of course). Now, when the second voice enters, WHY are the first five notes a REAL answer while the next part of the theme -- corresponding to the SAME pitches (C/G) of the first voice -- suddenly a TONAL answer?! As you know, the half step G/Ab is extremely conspicuous -- maybe TOO conspicuous to use twice in a row, especially given the A-flat's longer duration (longer than the preceding eigths and as a dotted quarter, longer than the opening's quarter)? When I imagine A-flat in both iterations (first group of five notes, then the next four) of the answer, as in a "proper," consistent tonal answer, my mind's ear finds it a bit tedious or at least very eccentric, so I'm glad he broke the rule in this case.
Thanks! It's a very special fugue. I love the tonal answer and how the countersubject is a short canon that clashes with the A-flat. Very clever and I agree unique to his output.