• A complicated piece of contrapuntal / polyphonic music

• A contrapuntal piece essentially based upon the idea of imitation

HIGHER LISTENING:FUGUE

Exposition

Begins with the SUBJECT, played or sung by one voice.

e.g. Trinidad and the big Mississippi etc.

SUBJECTVoice 1

ExpositionO

nce the subject has been heard all the way through, a second voice enters with the answer.

This is very similar to the subject. If the intervals between all the notes are the same as the subject, it is a real answer. If they are slightly different, it is a tonal answer.

Meanwhile, the first voice continues with a counter-subject

e.g. Canada Malaga Rimini Brindisi

Subject Counter-subject

Answer

Voice 1

Voice 2

Exposition

The next voice to enter (Voice 3) comes in with the subject again. The second voice now moves on to the counter-subject, and the first voice moves on to a 2nd counter-subject

e.g. Yes! Tibet, Tibet, Tibet!

Subject Counter-subject 2nd counter-subject

Answer Counter-subject

Subject

Voice 1

Voice 2Voice 3

Exposition

This process continues until all voices have sung or played through the subject, counter-subject and 2nd counter-subject.

Episode

•New material is introduced

•The music will probably modulate

•There will be quite a lot of imitation

•Throughout the rest of the Fugue, the subject continues to enter in new keys.

•Some composers played around with the subject using techniques such as augmentation, diminution and stretto

•AUGMENTATION: The subject is heard in longer note values, giving the effect of slowing down.

•DIMINUTION: The subject is heard in shorter note values, giving the effect of speeding up.

•STRETTO: A voice enters with the subject or answer before the previous voice has finished playing it.