KidzSearch Safe Wikipedia for Kids. A fugue is a piece of music written for a certain number of parts (voices). It is a type of counterpoint with a precisely defined structure. It is based on a tune called the "subject" of the fugue.
What is the meaning of Fugue?
Definition of fugue. 1 a : a musical composition in which one or two themes are repeated or imitated by successively entering voices and contrapuntally developed in a continuous interweaving of the voice parts The organist played a four-voiced fugue. b : something...
What is a 3 part fugue called?
A “3 part fugue” means a fugue written for three voices or instruments. Fugues can be in 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 6 parts. The more parts there are the harder it is to write a fugue because each part has to sound interesting by itself, but together they must also make sense.
How many voices are there in a fugue?
The subject is usually used throughout the fugue, played consecutively in three or four different voices. The voices are all in different ranges so that each time the subject enters, it can be clearly heard.
How do you play a fugue?
A fugue always starts with just one part playing the subject. Then the other parts come in one at a time until they are all playing.
What is a fugue kid definition?
From Academic Kids In music, a fugue is a type of piece written in counterpoint for several independent musical voices. A fugue begins with its subject (a brief musical theme) stated by one of the voices playing alone.
Why is it called a fugue?
The word fugue comes from fuga, meaning to chase since each voice “chases” the previous one. The composition of a fugue starts with the choice of a musical theme of a particular kind called the subject.
How do you identify a fugue?
However, the following signs might signal that someone might be experiencing dissociative fugue:confusion.loss of memory about themselves and their own life.an inability to recognize people they know.aimless wandering.detachment from their emotions.a lack of attendance at work or other commitments.
What type of music is fugue?
contrapuntal compositionA fugue is a musical composition for multiple voices and a prime example of contrapuntal composition.
What is another word for fugue?
Similar words for fugue: amnesia (noun) communication (noun) flight (noun) forgetfulness (noun)
What is an example of fugue?
A noteworthy subcategory of fugue is the type based on a cantus firmus. An example is the double fugue at the beginning of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, already mentioned, which includes widely spaced phrases of the chorale melody “O Lamm Gottes unschuldig” (“Oh, Innocent Lamb of God”).
What happens in a fugue?
A dissociative fugue is a temporary state where a person has memory loss (amnesia) and ends up in an unexpected place. People with this symptom can't remember who they are or details about their past. Other names for this include a "fugue” or a “fugue state.”
What are the three main elements of a fugue?
A fugue usually has three main sections: an exposition, a development and a final entry that contains the return of the subject in the fugue's tonic key.
What causes sudden fugue?
The onset of a dissociative fugue state is usually sudden and follows a traumatic or highly stressful event. Dissociative fugues are associated with difficult events, such as natural disasters and wars, as well as severe marital or financial distress, alcohol abuse, depression, and a history of child abuse.
How do you listen to a fugue?
1:369:29How to Listen to Classical Music: Fugues - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIdea by a definite number of voices in imitation. So you'll have a fugue on this theme. Four fourMoreIdea by a definite number of voices in imitation. So you'll have a fugue on this theme. Four four voices in imitation.
How do you teach a fugue?
6:308:39How to Learn a Fugue - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBetween the. Hands so aside from doing hands separately you also want to have the integrity of allMoreBetween the. Hands so aside from doing hands separately you also want to have the integrity of all the lines. So you hear them so you must go through and not only learn the hand separately.
What instruments are used in a fugue?
The number and the order of the fugues remain controversial, as does the work's date of composition. Bach did not indicate which instruments were to be used to perform the work, but experts surmise that he would have chosen the organ and harpsichord or a small string or chamber orchestra.
What does fugue mean in music?
Definition of fugue 1a : a musical composition in which one or two themes are repeated or imitated by successively entering voices and contrapuntally developed in a continuous interweaving of the voice parts The organist played a four-voiced fugue.
What is the difference between a canon and a fugue?
Well, in a fugue, an entire musical theme is stated (or mostly stated) before the next one starts in. In a canon, the first one just gets going when the next one starts.
What is a fugue in baroque music?
The fugue is a type of polyphonic composition or compositional technique based on a principal theme (subject) and melodic lines (counterpoint) that imitate the principal theme. The fugue is believed to have developed from the canon which appeared during the 13th century.
What are the three main elements of a fugue?
A fugue usually has three main sections: an exposition, a development and a final entry that contains the return of the subject in the fugue's tonic key.
What is a fugue in music?
A fugue is a piece of music written for a certain number of parts (voices). It is a type of counterpoint with a precisely defined structure. It is based on a tune called the "subject" of the fugue. The word “fugue“ comes from the Italian “fuga“ meaning “flight“.
What is the first part of a fugue?
A fugue always starts with just one part playing the subject. Then the other parts come in one at a time until they are all playing. When the second part comes in it will always be half an octave higher or lower than the beginning (musicians say: “on the dominant”, meaning that it starts on the 5th note of the scale instead of the “tonic” or 1st note). This called: the answer. The third part to come in will be the “subject” (in the tonic once again) and the fourth part will be another answer, etc.
Why do composers use fugues?
Fugues can be very dramatic and exciting as each part comes in one at a time and the music builds up. This is why many composers have ended long works with a fugue. It helps to build up the tension towards the end of the work. Even if it is not a strict fugue it might be “fugal” i.e. it might start off as a fugue and then become freer (adding extra parts etc.). Beethoven uses fugues a lot in the last movement of his late piano sonatas. Benjamin Britten writes a fugue at the end of A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. At the end of his song for choir called “The Twelve” William Walton starts a fugue with a very long, fast and complicated fugues subject, but it soon develops into a much freer piece of music.
How many parts are in a fugue?
Fugues can be in 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 6 parts . The more parts there are the harder it is to write a fugue because each part has to sound interesting by itself, but together they must also make sense. 3, 4 and 5 part fugues are usual.
Why did composers study Bach's fugues?
Bach’s fugues became models for future generations. Composers from later periods studied Bach’s fugues in order to learn how to write their own. For example, Dmitri Shostakovich, a 20th century composer, wrote preludes and fugues in the same style as Bach.
Who wrote the fugue?
It was often played after a prelude. The most famous composer of fugues was Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote two books, each with 24 Preludes and Fugues, called The Well-Tempered Clavier (in German: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier ). Each book has a prelude and fugue in a different major and minor key. He also wrote many Preludes and Fugues for organ, sometimes writing a passacaglia, fantasia or toccata instead of the prelude, as in the case of the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
Is fugue a form of contrapuntal music?
Because a fugue is a piece which puts several lines of melody together it is a form of contrapuntal music.
What is a fugue in music?
1 a : a musical composition in which one or two themes are repeated or imitated by successively entering voices and contrapuntally developed in a continuous interweaving of the voice parts The organist played a four-voiced fugue.
Which composers created fugues for organ?
Fugue and Bach. Bach and Handel composed many fugues for harpsichord and organ in which the various parts (or voices) seem to flee from and chase each other in an intricate dance. Each part, after it has stated the theme or melody, apparently flees from the next part, which takes up the same theme and sets off in pursuit.
What is a fugue?
A fugue is a complex style of composition that was developed during the Baroque period. In this lesson, learn how fugues are made, what characteristic qualities make up the style, and how J.S. Bach influenced the style, and listen to examples. Create an account.
How does the fugue work?
In all, the interweaving melodies of the fugue make it a complex and challenging style to compose. As each subject and answer are introduced, the music becomes more and more involved, layering melodies that combine to create harmony. Like a car chase, the melodies wind through twists and turns, each melody following the one before it. Like modifying a car, composers add contrast and variety to the subjects with modulation, and apply manipulation, like augmentation and retrograde, to mix things up and make their expressive statements more powerful. With the fugue's freedom of composition, Baroque composers were finally able to put musical creativity in the driver's seat.
What is a fugue in racing?
Fugue Definition. Imagine you and a few friends are in a car race. You all have to take the same approximate route, but if you try to drive in the same place at the same time, you'll probably get in a car wreck. So instead, you decide that one person starts first, then the rest follow one by one as you reach certain checkpoints.
How to start a fugue?
After the subject is introduced, an answer is given. In a fugue, the answer is a repetition of the subject by another voice, usually a higher one.
How many voices are in a fugue?
The subject is usually used throughout the fugue, played consecutively in three or four different voices. The voices are all in different ranges so that each time the subject enters, it can be clearly heard. To start the fugue, the subject is played by one of the voices.
When were fugues popular?
Fugues were most popular during the Baroque Period, ca. 1600-1750. They were based on an earlier idea from the Renaissance Period called imitative polyphony, where multiple singers would sing the same melody at different times. This is similar to a round, like 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' or 'Frère Jacques.'.
Who was the composer of the fugue?
Bach and the Fugue. Johann Sebastian Bach was a master composer of the Baroque period who was known for his fugues. As an organist and church choirmaster, it's no surprise that most of his fugues were written for organ, harpsichord, or chorus. Bach was a master of composing with inventive melodic and rhythmic contour.
What is fugue music?
By BBC Music Magazine. A fugue is music written for several imitative parts which, entering at staggered stages, join together to create a harmonic whole. Since the Middle Ages, and the first flowering of notated music, composers have striven beyond simple tune-plus-accompaniment.
What pitch do the voices enter in Fugue?
Now you have something like the beginning of a fugue. The voices enter one by one, broadly imitating each other, but at alternating pitch es: home-note/fifth/home-note… and so on, depending on the number of voices.
What is a fugue in music?
A fugue is a contrapuntal composition for a number of separate parts or voices. Usually a composer chooses to describe or define a fugue they have composed according to the number of parts it is written for. e.g. “a fugue in 4 parts”, “a fugue in 3 voices”. Each part/voices enters in imitation of each other.
What are the episodes of a fugue used for?
The Episodes in a fugue are often used by the composer to modulate to different keys.#N#This brings added variety to the entries of the Subject later on in the fugue.
What is a coda in a fugue?
The Coda in a fugue is a final section of music that often includes stretto. Its primary aim is to move the piece to an appropriate conclusion. In my coda I have used stretto to continue to increase the drama as the fugue ends: Fugue Example Coda. The Completed Fugue Example.
What is a countersubject in a fugue?
A Countersubject often appears in the Exposition (and also later in the fugue). A countersubject acts like an accompaniment to the Subject and Answer. So, the voice/part which has just played the Subject will go on to play the Countersubject whilst the next voice is playing the answer.
What is an accompaniment fugue?
Accompanied Fugue – these are sometimes found in oratorio movements where there is a free instrumental part accompanying the singing.
Who is the most famous composer of fugues?
There are many examples of fugues. Arguably the most famous composer of fugues is Johann Sebastian Bach. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations.
When are the two subjects introduced in a piece?
A subject is introduced at the start of the piece and answered in the usual way. A second subject is then introduced and also answered. The 2 subjects are then combined at a later point in the piece.
