Sonatas and Partitas | Geek Alert! Fugal subjects and Answers
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- Heather DeRome discusses all three fugues from the collection, comparing how Bach dealt with the fugal expositions, which are written according to certain predefined rules. we facetiously wrote that the video needs a “geek alert” because we are looking at the material purely theoretically, rather than approaching the topic from a player’s perspective, as we normally would do.
We discuss the subjects (main motives) of the three fugues in the Sonatas and Partitas, and look at Bach’s treatment of them insofar as how he follows-or does not follow-the basic premises of fugal writing. In the case of all three fugues, Bach deviates from the most basic premise, which is that the subject is introduced by the alternation of tonic and dominant entries.
As always, when Bach deviates from the norm, whether that be a pattern or expectation that he, himself, has set up, or else a current compositional convention, it is fascinating to try to “correct his mistake.” Whenever we make this attempt, we always run into a problem--and it is probably the same problem that Bach himself ran into. For this reason, it is always fascinating to approach his music in that light: trying it ourselves, getting into a tight spot, and examining how Bach got himself out of that same tight spot.
Thanks for this excellent lesson . I have been playing Bach on the guitar for years and there is always something new to learn .
Yes! Always something new to learn.
Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting peek into the problem of starting fugue in a successful way. I think you are very right that most people would'nt stop to think that there was a melodic problem to be solved in order to have a convincing fugal reply. It is still fuzzy in my mind but starting to have an idea. Thank you for the lesson, Heather. ❤
Thanks David. When you say still fuzzy, was it that it was not well explained? Or just new to you? Best wishes!
@@sonatasandpartitas I think there is a fair amount of detail, and you talked about things I have thought about many times, but mostly in passing.You got into some specifics with examples of compositional techniques and problem solving ideas. Never really seen anyone look at Bach like that. They talk about "this fugue subject reply is at the fourth" but there usually isn't a discussion at to why, it's usually just discussion about what is. I think your explanation is clear, I just think it's a topic that may require more than one watching to obsorb exactly what you are saying. I watched it twice and the second time it was clearer to me. Enjoyed the video. Hope you are doing well. :)
Thanks for answering David. I had made this same video a couple of years ago, and looking at it just recently, I thought, wow, that goes by so fast, the only people who will understand are those who already know what I am talking about. So I re did the video, trying to be clearer. But I wanted to let you know I appreciate your comment, about people often say "the answer is at the fourth" and they stop there. You have hit on the thing about theory that bothers me the most, and one of the main reasons I am making these didactic type videos. Theory often just feels like doing a word search or playing "find Waldo". For example, People like doing the exercise of finding all the subject entries and labelling the keys. But it's just a labelling exercise. However, you can go one step farther, if you can use the exercise to teach you to really HEAR how those subject entries are like the pillars that drive the long range arc of the piece. Then you can feel it and play it like, beneath all the pretty stuff and all the cool stuff, and all that stuff we relentlessly label, it's really one long completely cohesive phrase. Well that is just one example. The main point is that when we see something unusual, we can often figure out WHY, if we do that trick or game of "trying to correct Bach's mistake". It's fun detective work, and I really think it helps us as players. LOL, I often think of the Waldo analogy, and "Ok, he's at the popcorn stall, but what is he DOING there?? and how did he GET there?"@@franzenmusic
@@sonatasandpartitas Really love talking about this! It's also fun to see all the detailed explanation and discussion. Also fun to see your dedication and enthusiasm about it. It is rejuvenating. I started playing Bach when I was 10, but only had an intuition about what was there. Those details are what brings us back over and over whether we know why or not. Fun to think about it and bring it from merely intuition into the conscious mind if not to change your interpretation, then to appreciate his craftsmanship and further understanding of his process as well as for personal creative problem solving skills. Thanks for your work and sharing of your ideas. ❤
Definitely enthusiastic! But also, we need to keep the intuition in our playing! That is one thing I love about music and why I think it gives us a higher IQ. It really does ask us to use our full intellectual, emotional, intuitive, everything, all parts of the brain, and then do it with our body.
@@franzenmusic
Fascinating insight - almost like musical archeology! Feels like by understanding the score better we can know something of Bach's personality. Thanks as always Heather. (PS I got the Sonatas & Partitas for Christmas!)
The best Christmas present ever!!