HIGHER LISTENING FUGUE A complicated piece of contrapuntal

HIGHER LISTENING: FUGUE • A complicated piece of contrapuntal / polyphonic music • A contrapuntal piece essentially based upon the idea of imitation

Exposition Begins with the SUBJECT, played or sung by one voice. e. g. Trinidad and the big Mississippi etc. Voice 1 SUBJECT

Exposition Once the subject has been heard all the way through, a second voice enters with the answer. This is very similar to the subject. If the intervals between all the notes are the same as the subject, it is a real answer. If they are slightly different, it is a tonal answer. Meanwhile, the first voice continues with a counter-subject e. g. Canada Malaga Rimini Brindisi Voice 1 Voice 2 Subject Counter-subject Answer

Exposition The next voice to enter (Voice 3) comes in with the subject again. The second voice now moves on to the counter-subject, and the first voice moves on to a 2 nd counter-subject e. g. Yes! Tibet, Tibet! Voice 1 Voice 2 Voice 3 Subject Counter-subject 2 nd counter-subject Answer Counter-subject Subject

Exposition This process continues until all voices have sung or played through the subject, counter-subject and 2 nd counter-subject.

Episode • New material is introduced • The music will probably modulate • There will be quite a lot of imitation

• Throughout the rest of the Fugue, the subject continues to enter in new keys. • Some composers played around with the subject using techniques such as augmentation, diminution and stretto • AUGMENTATION: The subject is heard in longer note values, giving the effect of slowing down. • DIMINUTION: The subject is heard in shorter note values, giving the effect of speeding up. • STRETTO: A voice enters with the subject or answer before the previous voice has finished playing it.