How a fugue is constructed?
A fugue is constructed like no other form of music. Fugues terminology is similar to that of Sonata Allegro form. The use of Exposition, Development, Transition and Coda are used however the term Recapitulation is not a part of Fugal Structure. The form for a fugue can be simple to complex. It depends on how many voices a composer uses, number of expositions and method of voice variations. We’ll start with variations – The first time you hear the melody in a fugue is called the subject. The subject is usually in the tonic key. There are some instances the first subject is not but to keep this simple we’ll lean on Bach’s methods of composition. The subject can be any length with some Bach subjects as short as 6 notes to some being 10 measures in length. The subject can enter in any voice – S A T or B. Following the subject is the “answer”. Generally speaking the answer will be in the dominant if the fugue is major and the in a minor up minor 3rd or up a minor 6th. Now these rules are ge
