Composed at Coethen, they are among Bach's masterpieces in this form and display fugal and canonic writing which is both natural and full of character.
The work consists of fugal Variations planned on the most elaborate scale.
Nothing is more intellectually stimulating than counterpoint, and the composers Bach studied were distinguished by their mastery of it, as their fugal writing attests.
A strict and ingenious fugal structure was required to give unity to this manifold variety.
Agitation rises into joyful emotion in the Osanna, to which the form of a short fugal movement is usually given.
The Gloria Patri is an independent movement, with a slow introduction to a short fugal movement on the words "et in saecula saeculorum," with a charming organ point.
Baini reports that they preserved somewhat too much of the cumbrous Flemish manner; and that though the words were more intelligible, the fugal artifices overlaid their clear enunciation.
What is noticeable in these experiments is, that a new form of musical expression, declamatory and continuous, therefore dramatic, as opposed to the lyrical and fugal methods of the contrapuntists, was in process of elaboration.
Lento is a soft fugal chant on elemental theme; there is all the solemnity of cathedral service; after the low-chanted phrase follows a tremendous blare of the brass.
In a brief fugal vein is a mystic harking back to the earlier prelude.
One of the greatest fugal episodes of symphonies, it is yet a mere prelude to the real movement, where the light theme is drawn from a phrase of latest cadence.
This is suddenly changed to the guise of a fugal theme, with new close, that starts a maze of disputation.
Augmentation and diminution of theme abound, together with the full fugal manner.
Footnote A: It is of the first two notes of the symphony that the fugal theme is made.
The maze and rigor of the fugue do not prevent a frequent appearance of all the other themes, and even of the full melodies, of which the fugalmotives are built.
Well defined is the middle episode in minor reared on a new theme of the clarinet with an almost fugal polyphony that departs from the main lyric mood.
A fugal revel of the comic phrase with the quick strum as counter-theme ends in a new carnival,--here a dashing march, there a mad chase of strident harmonies.
A fresh spur is given by a wild motion of strings, as in the fugal episode; a new height of tempest is reached where again the distorted shreds of first dance appear, with phrases of the second.
Each one is answered by an eccentric phrase that had its origin in the first movement and is now extended to a fugal theme.
Suddenly in quick pace against a fugal tread of lower voices, a light skipping figure dances in the high wood.
The final height of climax is distinguished by a stentorian, fugal blast of the theme in the bass, the higher breaking in on the lower, while other voices are raging on the quicker phrases.
If we care to look closer we see how the (following) chant is a slower form of the fugal theme, while the bass is in the line of the dance-tune.
At length the sadness is overcome and there is a new animation as separate voices enter in fugal manner in the line of the march.
However, he was deeply engrossed in fugal writing at this period and it is very likely, as Nottebohm suggests, that he conceived an overture on the motive as a tribute to Bach's genius.
The nephew decided in favor of both, while I expressed a desire to see the fugal theme worked out for the purpose mentioned.
The pieces of Gabrieli were mostly imitations of compositions for the voice, fugal in style, and with never among them a melody fully carried out.
Next we have a fugal movement, like the preceding one, in common time; lastly, one in six-eight time.
Then a finely worked-out fugal section depicts the great grief of the bystanders.
In the matter of development, the Bach sonatas are in one respect particularly striking; the composer seems to have resolutely turned away from the fugal style, and in so doing probably found himself somewhat hampered.
The fugal element is always more or less present, but some of the other movements have somewhat of a suite character; No.
In a history of the development of the sonata generally, those of Corelli would occupy an important place, for in them we find not only fugal and dance forms, but also hints of sonata-form.
And, besides, Kuhnau prided himself on the fugal character of his sonatas.
The fugal element is still strong; and we find, not so much the smooth style of Corelli as the vigorous style of Froberger and other composers of North Germany.
First one commencing with chords, after which, fugal imitation.
Oh, only a fugal movement--just a fugue of Kirnberger's.
This is the best part of it--a fugal Gloria, ending with a pedal-point.
I wish you would not give us so much of thisfugal style.
The brevity and conciseness of the Sanctus do not by any means prove it not to have been by Mozart, for all the movements of the Requiem, when not lengthened by a fugal treatment, are similarly compressed.
Mozart has undertaken such a fugal elaboration of both motifs as presupposes a radically different treatment impossible without a new intellectual conception of the task before him.
In the allegro which follows the first theme is taken up again, not in regular fugal form, but working out the different motifs with unusually elaborate contrapuntal treatment, for the most part in the stretto.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "fugal" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
