MUSC 529, Final Examination, Fall, 2015

By Lucas Nicoluci Bohn

1. Generally, a Fugue exposition has a Subject entry, an answer, a bridge, and another
subject entry. The voice entrance order varies. While Fugue 7, E-flat Major have the
first entry on the upper voice, the answer on the middle voice, and another subject
entrance on the lower voice, Fugue 8, D# minor have a middle voice first entry, an
upper voice answer, and another entrance on the lower voice.
On a fugue the answer can be either real or tonal. A real answer keeps the
same intervals as the subject on the dominant key. Meanwhile, a tonal answer
presents a few interval changes and happens when the subject starts with the tonic
note and ends up with the dominant note and vice-versa. The bridge normally is
constructed over motives already stated. The last subject entry happens after the
bridge and normally brings up the countersubject again.
Fugue 7, E flat Major exposition follows the traditional procedures that Bach
used on this kind of composition most of the time. On the first couple of measures
hed present the subject; followed by a tonal answer on the dominant key which could
have a countersubject accompanying; the bridge begins on measure 5 on the middle
voice and is developed over the last motive of the subject (measure 2, beat 3) and the
last 3 notes of the countersubject (upper voice, measure 4, last beat and a half); than
the last voice would have its entrance, and the piece would have its 3 active voices.
Fugue 8, D-sharp Minor exposition keeps the same process with a few
differences. First we have the Subject entry on the middle voice, followed by its tonal
answer beginning on the second half of measure 3. Secondly comes the bridge using a
contrary motion motive. Than the lower voice comes in making the 3 voices active.

2. Episodic passages are characterized by the development of motives present on the

subject. The episode of Fugue 7, E-flat Major is not different. The motives used can
be found on the second half of the second measure of this piece part of this fugue
subject. The way Bach construct this episode is ingenious. Using this motive (and its
augmentation) as a pivot he makes his way through the episode going from the E flat
key to the relative minor. One can find the motive on the last two beats of the subject
developed all throughout the episode leading the piece forward. Measure 14 is the key
of the transition to Cm the B natural that will lead the piece to Cm via chromatic
applications of the motive.
3. The devices Bach used on this section of Fugue in D sharp are mainly 2 Stretto
and Subject augmentation and Mirroring. Stretto is a device used normally later on
the fugue and it normally brings up tension to the piece. It consists on the overlapping
of subject entrances. Subject augmentation is the stretch of the subject in a rhythm
manner so what was a quarter note in the original subjects rhythm outline becomes
a half note. Mirroring is the inversion of the melodic movement of the original
subject layout. On this excerpt, the lower voice has the augmented version of the
subject as its first entry, followed by another subject entry on the middle voice at
measure 63 (not augmented). Right at measure 65 we can spot another subject entry
on the upper voice, not augmented but mirrored.

4. Those two excerpts shown in question 4 differ on their final cadence. While the
first excerpt achieve Cm via III V i, the second excerpt has a longer path to reach the
ending. On the first measure, Cm is already reached via G7. Then, on measure 3, C7
is achieved through the E natural in order to achieve F7. What happens from that
point on is F7 calls up Bbm/Db and than Ab/C (bVI of Cm), finally achieving Bo
(VIIo) and G7. To finish the progression, Bach uses the V of V (D7/F#) to reach G7
and finish the piece on C.

5. A double fugue has two subjects that have simultaneous entrances at least one time
on the piece. It can happen in two ways. Either the second subject first appearance
happens with the first subject or it has its own exposition and the overlapped entry
happens further on the piece.

6. A triple and quadruple keeps the same idea as the double fugue it implies that the
subjects have simultaneous entries. As the double fugue, this kind of piece can either
have the 3 overlapping subjects on the beginning of the or further along the fugue. A
famous example of this technique is "St. Anne" Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 552. The
procedure for this specific piece is quite beautiful. It has well defined exposition of the
three subjects. S1 and S2 happens together, as well as S1 and S3.

7. Two volumes, 1722 & 1744, each containing a cycle of 24 preludes and fugues in
all keys Well Tempered Clavier (Das Wohltemperierte Klavier)
Thirty variations on a theme from the Anna Magdelena Bach book, every third
variations a canon Goldberg Variations
A collection comprising several canons, two ricercares and a trio sonata The
musical Offering
This collection of 19 contrapuncti includes fugues and canons illustrating many
contrapuntal techniques The Art of Fugue