| Well Tempered Clavier (WTC) |
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Major Keyboard work in all 24 keys comprised of preludes and fugues in each key.
~After this work, Bach never wrote in some keys again
~Published in 1801 after his death
~Transcribed by Mozart; known by many serious musicians. |
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| wrote some suites for keyboard – wrote in same type of key sequence as Bach (but put minors before the majors) |
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| First to write in all 24 keys [for organ] just figured bass exercises |
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Ariadne musica – 19 short preludes and fugues in 19 different keys
~probably the most strong influence on the WTC
~Not ‘great’works like Bach’s |
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| Alfred – nice study edition |
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| C,c,D-flat,c sharp,D to B-flat – every key, parallel minor, go up chromatically |
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| Short, highly unified pieces in which the tendency is to operate with a short motive. |
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broken chord pattern
~good for practicing performing long trills, prefixes from above and below. |
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~not a single patterned prelude
~prelude and double fugue all by itself |
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| tempo marking written by Bach near end, but not at beginning |
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~style brise (lute music)
~breaking of chords to create contrapuntal effect. |
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| two voices with Bass, often moving in parallel type motion |
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| b-flat and e-flat minor prelude – vocal, song like |
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~48 total 45 are 3 or 4 voice fugues
~26 3-voice
~19 4-voice
~1 2-voice
~2 5-voice |
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| one long exposition with no episode |
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| countersubject is retrograde inversion of the subject |
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| Tureck’s fugue principles |
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fugue subject is a fixed idea/constant motive (it doesn’t develop like a sonata theme)
~articulation and phrasing should be consistent.
~Cannot voice a fugue accurately unless you hear all the voices on their own.
~Alternation between exposition and episodes (sequence, modulation, etc.) |
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| unique: it’s all exposition (no episode)–subject is always being presented |
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| countersubject is a retrograde inversion of the subject |
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~Continuously driving rhythms
~Figuration patterns
~sequential phrase structures
~Striking intervals in the subject |
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| Devices of learned counterpoint |
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~Augmentation, diminution, and retrograde are seldom used
~Inversion and stretto (to narrow or tighten) are used quite often |
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~entrances of fugue come closer and closer together
~Creates excitement and tension- leads to climax
~B-flat minor fugue – stretto happens every half note apart |
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~d minor fugue #6
~G major fugue #15 |
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| How preludes and fugues are related |
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~German composers saw the big picture (french thought smaller) they either contrast or complement each other
~Very seldom find a motive that is in both the prelude and fugue (WTC I: c minor) WTC I: b minor #24 – uses all 12 tones in the fugue subject. |
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~French Suite
~English Suite
~Partitas
3 sets of 6 |
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| Bach probably didn’t name the French and English suites, but he named the partitas |
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| Most dance types are french |
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| Bach may have been influenced by studying the suites of Dieupart in London |
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~Essentially 2-part writing
~short
~no introductory pieces |
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~more dissonant
~Longer
~More rhythmically complex
~Have important introductory movements |
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~Brilliant (showy)
~Highly ornamented in the french style |
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| ACSG: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande(English suite: 2 optional dances between the sarabande and gigue), Gigue |
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~Fantasy: could very easily be the opening of a toccata.
~The rest is in the style of a gigue
~opening movements can work well by themselves. |
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