Lecture 13. Fugue: Bach, Bizet and Bernstein

YaleCourses

7 Dec 201249:57

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe script depicts a university lecture analyzing the musical form of the fugue. It provides background on fugues, defining them as compositions with a leading melodic line that is then imitated by other voices. Several famous fugues by Bach are discussed, analyzing their technical features like invertible counterpoint, pedal tones, and gathering rhythmic momentum. Fugues by later composers like Bizet and Bernstein are also examined, noting how they adopted and built upon the complex Baroque style. The lecture aims to attune students to recognizing fugue subjects amidst contrapuntal episodes, appreciating these cerebral yet aesthetically pleasing historical works.

Takeaways

😀 The lecture covers the musical form of the fugue, its history, structure and features
😀 A fugue involves one melodic line leading and another imitating it
😀 The exposition establishes all the voices/parts, the episodes modulate and develop motives
😀 Invertible counterpoint involves switching the melody and accompaniment
😀 Bach was known as a great organist in his time
😀 Fugues feature intellectually satisfying structures like stretto and inversion
😀 Bernstein includes a syncopated jazz fugue in his Prelude, Fugue and Riff
😀 Glenn Gould sings a humorous fugue about how to write a fugue
😀 Listening to fugues means distinguishing between statements of the subject and episodes
😀 Fugues showcase the mathematical and cerebral side of music

Q & A

What is a fugue and what are its key characteristics?
-A fugue is a type of musical composition in which one voice or part leads and another voice or part imitates it. Key characteristics of a fugue include an exposition section where the theme (subject) is introduced in all voices, episodes where the theme is developed, a coda which affirms the tonic key, and the use of contrapuntal textures with imitation between the voices.
How does a fugue differ from a canon or round?
-In a canon or round, one voice imitates the other exactly from beginning to end. In a fugue, the imitating voices introduce the subject and then break off into episodes of free counterpoint where they go their own independent ways.
What instruments are fugues typically written for?
-Fugues are typically written for keyboard instruments like the organ, piano, harpsichord or clavichord that can play multiple independent musical lines simultaneously. They have also been written for strings and voices.
What is J.S Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier?
-The Well-Tempered Clavier is a collection of 48 preludes and fugues, with one prelude and fugue for each major and minor key, composed by J.S. Bach to demonstrate the possibilities of well-tempered tuning, which allows modulation to all keys.
What happens during the episode sections of a fugue?
-During the episode sections, the fugue subject is developed using short motivic fragments. The music modulates to different keys, has a freer texture, and creates a sense of tension or instability before the return of the subject.
What is a fugato?
-A fugato is when a fugal exposition is incorporated as a section within a larger musical piece written in a different form, rather than being a standalone fugue. For example, the development section of a sonata form movement could contain a fugato.
What is invertible counterpoint?
-Invertible counterpoint is when two or more melodic lines can be flipped so that the one on top can go to the bottom and vice versa, while still retaining harmonic coherence. Bach demonstrates this in bars 16-20 of the fugue example.
What happens at the end of most fugues?
-At the end of most fugues, the subject returns in a prominent voice like the soprano or bass, in the home key. This gives a sense of arrival signaling the conclusion of the piece. Composers also often add more voices to create a louder, more resonant ending.
What is stretto?
-Stretto is when the subject entries in a fugue overlap, so that the subject begins before the previous entry has finished. This creates increased momentum and tension.
What makes Bernstein's fugue unusual compared to a typical Baroque one?
-Bernstein's fugue uses unusual instrumentation with a saxophone quartet rather than more typical strings or keyboard instruments. It also contains two distinct fugue subjects, unusual syncopated rhythms, a moment of melodic inversion, and advanced techniques like stretto.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Defining and introducing the fugue musical form

The professor introduces the fugue, explaining it is an intellectual model found across disciplines. He defines it as a composition where voices imitate a subject, featuring expositions, episodes modulating to other keys, and ending affirmatively in the tonic key. He relates it to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

05:01

🎹 Examining the exposition and episodes of a fugue

The professor further explains the exposition presents the theme in all voices, while episodes feature modulation and sequences using motives from the theme. He compares episodes to sonata form developments. He illustrates using Bach's Fugue No. 2 in C Minor.

10:03

🎻 Comparing fugues and fugatos

The professor distinguishes fugues as standalone pieces from fugatos, where a fugue is embedded inside a larger form as a development section. He demonstrates with a 4-voice fugato by Bizet, challenging students to track the order of entrances.

15:07

🎺 Analyzing invertible counterpoint and endings

Continuing with Bach's Fugue No. 2, the professor identifies a passage featuring invertible counterpoint, where two motives switch positions. He also analyzes the Picardy third ending and the held tonic pedal point, comparing instrumentation.

20:07

✏️ Examining the mathematical quality of fugues

The professor proposes fugues have a mathematical quality allowing motives to be inverted, retrograded, etc. He praises Bach's adept counterpoint skills in quickly devising such passages. He relates the cerebral nature of fugues to Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach.

25:08

🥁 Distinguishing between fugue and episode passages

The professor emphasizes recognizing statements of the fugue subject versus episodic passages as critical for analyzing fugues. He illustrates with a 3-minute Bach organ fugue, asking students to raise hands when hearing the subject.

30:10

🎷 Analyzing a complex jazz fugue by Bernstein

The professor examines a syncopated, multi-part jazz fugue by Leonard Bernstein. He highlights a saxophone inversion of the subject, a lyrical second subject, stretto entrances, and combination of the two subjects.

35:12

👂 Listening to a triadic fugue subject by Bach

The professor sings a Bach fugue subject outlining a minor triad. He explains the triad provides a backbone for the subject, and analyzes the accelerating rhythm giving a sense of momentum.

40:18

🤔 Tracking order and range of fugue entries

Preparing to listen to the full Bach organ fugue, the professor instructs students to track trajectory and range of entries, differentiating statements of the subject from episodes.

45:19

🎶 Learning to write a fugue through song

In conclusion, the professor plays a humorous song by Glenn Gould about how to compose a proper fugue, emphasizing the complexity of the form.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡fugue

A fugue is a complex polyphonic musical form where a melody or 'subject' is introduced and then imitated and developed across multiple vocal parts or instrumental lines. Fugues are a hallmark of Baroque era composers like Bach. The video analyzes different fugues by Bach and later composers, explaining their structure and characteristic features like subjects, episodes, exposition, stretto, etc.

💡subject

The subject is the main melody or theme in a fugue. It is first stated in one voice or part, and then imitated and developed as the fugue progresses. For example, the video analyzes the subject in a Bach organ fugue, noting how it outlines a minor triad.

💡episode

In between statements of the fugue subject, there are episodes featuring free counterpoint and modulation to different keys. Episodes provide contrast and are analogous to the development section in sonata form.

💡exposition

The exposition introduces the voices and subject(s) of a fugue. It features the initial statement of the subject in each voice in turn. After the exposition we have the first episode before statements of the subject return.

💡stretto

Stretto involves statements of the fugue subject with overlapping entries, as if the intervals are 'stacked' on top of one another. This creates rich contrapuntal density. Bernstein's jazz fugue features stretto.

💡inversion

Inversion is when the intervals of a melody are flipped upside down. Fugue subjects can be inverted while retaining harmonic integrity. Bernstein's jazz fugue contains an inverted statement of the main subject.

💡pedal point

A pedal point is when one bass note drones on repeatedly under changing harmonies, anchoring the tonality. Bach's fugues often have closing pedal points, reflecting his organ playing.

💡fugato

A fugato is when a fugal exposition is incorporated into a larger piece written in a different form, like sonata form. Bizet's youthful symphony features a fugato in the development section.

💡counterpoint

Counterpoint refers to the interplay between independent musical lines or voices in polyphonic textures like fugues. Episodes feature free counterpoint between fragments of the main subject.

💡sequence

Sequences are repeated melodic patterns on different pitches, often ascending or descending. Episodes in fugues frequently contain sequences to modulate to new keys.

Highlights

A fugue is an intellectual model that surfaces in poetry, literature, geology, and visual arts

The fugue has a leader melody that other voices chase and imitate before going their own ways

After the fugue's exposition, it has episodes for modulation and development before restating the theme

Invertible counterpoint allows switching the position of two motives so they still sound good

Composers enjoy using mathematical permutations like melody inversion in fugues

Stretto means fugue entries are stacked closely together through consonant intervals

Bernstein wrote a complex double fugue with two distinct expositions and subjects

The backbone of a fugue is often triadic, like Bach's arpeggiated minor triad subject

Fugues propel forward by writing shorter note values over steady tempo

Listen for statements of the fugue's subject versus episodes in between

The order of voices in a fugue's exposition can be tracked like a puzzle

Jazz and Baroque music share driving, regular rhythms and bass lines

Fugues modulate through keys with sequences in episodes between subject statements

A fugato is a fugue embedded inside a larger piece, like Bizet's symphony

Adding more notes at the end makes a louder, more sonorous finale

Transcripts

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