Listening: Fugue

Question 1

Fugue

Answer 1

• a piece that is written for 2-6 parts. based on a subject (the melody)
• • usually fugues are 3-5 voices
• • from Italian mean “flight”
• • each part has equal share of the subject. with one part playing the subject with each part layering in to part layering in to play the subject
• • fugues are a good example of counterpoint
• when the second part comes in it’s usually on the dominant. the third part will be the answer and the next parts will be other answers
• • a real answer is when the part is transposed (usually up a 5th)
• • a tonal answer is when they modify the answer to fit the key
• usually when the answer will come after the subject is played
• • sometimes the answer comes in half way thru the subject this is called stretto meaning huried
• the counter subject is the material that the voice that has finished the subject moves on to
• if none of the part are playing the subject or answer it’s called an episode to fill in the “bridge” of the piece
• the layout of a fugue
• • the time it takes all the voices to play the subject is called the exposition (first section)
• • the middle section modulates and plays with the subject
• • the last section of the piece each voices get one more chance to play the subject

Question 2

how many voices does the typical fugue have?

Answer 2

• 2-6

Question 3

the first thing we hear in a fugue is called the _____

Answer 3

• subject

Question 4

when the subject first returns in a different voice, it is called the answer, and usually occurs on the _______ scale degree

Answer 4

• 5th

Question 5

an answer is real if the _______ are identical to the subject, and tonal if they are modified

Answer 5

• intervals