The fugue explained by Bach
Вставка
- Опубліковано 21 гру 2023
- The fugue explained in a way that everybody can understand by Johann Sebastian Bach himself!
Music credits:
Hildegard von Bingen - "Alleluia Psallat"
performed by the San Fransisco Girls Chorus
with sincere gratitude.
• O virtus sapientiae, H...
English subtitles available
Nederlandse ondertitels beschikbaar
Sottotitoli disponibili in Italiano (grazie Barbara!) - Фільми й анімація
Gould said a fugue is like a conversation while a sonata is like an essay.
Personally I believe they're both conversations, but a fugue has a dominant subject whereas a sonata has two equivalent subjects. 😊
Good counterpoint: triviality of meaning, profundity of feeling.
Beautifully said! 😊
Part II explains how Bach composed over 1,128 pieces of music while fathering 20 children and working as Cantor/director, that included seven-part fugues, six-part fugues, triple fugues, and "reversed" canons.
Not to mention that about half of Bach's work's probably lost forever. Thank you for your kind comments!
Out of all the classical composers in the history of mankind, JS Bach is undoubtedly my most favourite of all, every time I listen to one of Bach's compositions the notes always seem to sound like they belong together as if by some divine will, it is well known that JS Bach was himself a devout Lutheran who composed his music for the glory of God.
@simonkormendy849 I completely agree with you. Though it's my personal belief that Bach's faith was put severely to the test, as I've already hinted in the series and which will become evident in ep. 23. Oops... spoiler alert! 🤣
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries I read a webpage about JS Bach and his personality, apparently he had anger management issues according to the webpage I read, he would write annotations in his Bible, he was also apparently the kind of person who would be great to hang-out with, there's also a webpage with a photo of what he would have looked like in real life.
My city's Lutheran church is doing a performance of Christmas Oratorio on Christmas day, on period accurate replica instruments. Gotta love long trumpets with no valves
Most of what's being said about Bach is exaggerated or false, like e.g. the incident when he supposedly said that a bassoonist "played like a goat", which I also showed in Ep. 6. People seem to forget that Bach was only 18, that he was put in charge of a youth orchestra, most musicians of which had zero talent and many of them were older than Bach and of better provenance. The bassoon player in question was in fact the son of the honorary president of the city council! I can imagine that the young man in question didn't respect Bach's authority and that he even challenged it continuously. In this light, I suppose that most of us would have reached a point at which we explode and perhaps say things we don't really mean. To make matters worse, the young man in question and his comrades afterwards attacked Bach whilst he was walking home but Bach managed to drive them off by using his ceremonial sword. So it was probably that young man who had anger management problems, not Bach. But just those two little phrase "played like a goat" and "drew his sword" made it into the city records and so for posterity and people are all to eager to draw conclusions. This is also a reason why I'm making this series, i.e. to shed a different light on who Bach must have been and to put things into their proper perspective.
That must be a fantastic concert! I wish I could be there because Bach sounds so much better on authentic instruments. About that Oratorio, I'll mention it and the circumstances around it in ep. 23... oops, spoiler alert! 🤣
I don’t understand much about music theory so having the minor bits represented as “rain later” is brilliant for me. This was really eye opening!
Thank you so much! I tried to show the structure in various ways so that everybody could hopefully understand it. Therefore your comment means a lot to me. 😊
Its etymology explains it all: from Latin Fuga "to flee". The voices are always chasing each other.
Exactly! Thank you very much for this clarification.
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries I have heard _fugue_ described as a relay race that turns into a mixed game of "capture the flag" and "fox and hounds", sometimes with circus acrobatics (the retrograde and inversions).
I think Herr Bach might be a trifle envious of the fugato development in the middle of the first movement of Borodin's String Quartet #1 in A-major.
I really love the BWV 577 Gigue Fugue, and one of the better UA-cam posts if this piece is the Bach Birthday 2020 performance by Roberto Scarpa Maylougha. What Virgil Fox did with rhinestones Maestor Meylougan did with sneakers.
See also the Prelude and Fugue in G#-Minor by Taneyev.
See also the third movement of Widor's _Symphonie Gothique_ in which an augmented _Puer natus est_ thunders forth as a kind of pedal point at the climax.
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries but it's not a clarification, is it? Fugue voices aren't running away from each other, rather they're running together
Excellent explanation. I had to compose a fugue in my 3rd year as an Undergrad. My theory teacher wanted everyone to be able to understand the fugue even if one was not planning on attending Grad School. I did and it certainly helped!
Thank you very much for your kind words, especially since you have such musical knowledge. A compliment from you means a lot to me. 😊
Every weather forecast should be structured as a fugue, it would make them much more interesting to listen to.
🤣 Now here's an idea! Thank you! 😊
Am I the only one who thinks a fugue is actually rather easy to write? It's 5% creativity and 95% solving a sudoku puzzle.
You must be the only one indeed. I'm sure that many music students envy you. 😆
I'd wager your output matches your description
Praise to you, this is a fantastic pedagogical material and it's very pleasant to watch ! Also the fugue of Master Bach is incredibly good, this is awesome.
I'm extremely happy with your comment because it's such a complex subject and you risk that people will comment that this video's too basic and that I've forgotten to mention so many things. I really hope that this video can be of use to music teachers, like you suggested. Anyway, I'm thrilled that you liked it. All the best!
Talking about the Fugue without talking about the circle of fifth is like getting into a dark room without a lighter
Well, I did mention that the theme is answered in the dominant, but I didn't want to dig too deep. This video's intended for people who have little to no knowledge about music theory and I hope that with this they already look at a fugue in a different way.
First thank you for your video and answer, I hope you can one day make a second video about mastering the circle of fifth ❤🙏@@BachTheAnimatedSeries
I imagine Bach teaching his students wouldn't be too far from this.
Now you're doing me too much honour. Thank you! 😊
Animated Bach swaying back and forth is giving me an unsettling feeling.
I hope in a good sense? 😆 Well, it's a drama series... 😊
Bach is the best.
I agree. 😊
To think that Bach achieved all this complex symmetry without the help of multitrack recording or the inspiration of LSD… what a brain. Great video, thanks.
Thank you very much! 😊
I don't know anything about music (though I like to listen to) and I understood finnally! Thanks a lot!
Thank you very much, that's a lovely compliment! 😊
Thanks to Bach, now i understand the weather!
Hahaha! Thank you! 😆
Here in my padded cell the nurses let me listen to Bach all day.
Wow! That must be a wonderful place! Since it's highly probable that I'll be declared mentally insane, I'd like to be recovered there as well. 🤣
There’s plenty of room
I had no idea it was this complex...
It sounds beautiful
Thank you very much! 😊
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries and thank you for this marvelous explanation!
I am a devout non-musician who was born with two left ears and joked about my voice until 65 yoa, I bought a piano, and am trying to change my ways.
I'm trying to learn keyboard technique, and I'm amazed you can keep all those lines in your head, and in your fingers.
Merci beaucoup for this video, excellent teaching tool.
And yes, the weather is nice.
Thank you very much for your kind words and especially for your wonderful life story. It's never too late to learn to play an instrument and I'm sure that, apart from all the suffering, it also gives you immense satisfaction.
I almost gave up in the middle but i kept listening and it all turned into a clear bright day. Thank you☀️
Thank you! I'm so happy that in the end it turned out to be useful to you. 😊
Perfect explaining! 👌❤️
Thank you very much! 😊
So that's what it's all about! Thanks for a clear explanation.
Thank you so much! 😊
I had no intention of learning what fugues are until I accidentally started this video. Excellent lecture and presentation! I love the breakdown and use of characters and metaphors.
Thank you very much! That's about the most beautiful compliment there is! 😊
Probably the best example of the grandeur of human thought processes.
Or very close anyway. Thank you!
i made my living playing banjo. but it was always j s bach that grabbed me. it truly travels in a most mysterious way. despite your clear exposition. thanks!
Bach sounds great on every instrument and I fully agree with what you said. Thank you! 😊
All is right with the world, after listening to a fugue. Seems to balance my brain. Now, I see why.
I feel the same way. Thank you very much! 😊
A bit less daunting but still mysteriously intriguing, and nobody tells a musical story better than Bach.
Yes, there's so much to discover in fugues and I only scratched the surface. Thank you for the lovely compliment.
Thanks so much, this is really a great help for getting access to the secrets of the fugue. And a charming idea to let Bach himself explain. (Nicely done, too!) This surely won't be the last episode of this series for me to watch.
Thank you very much for your kind words. The intention was indeed to explain the fugue in a way that anybody could understand, so your comment means a lot to me. Thank you once more and I hope that you'll enjoy the rest of the series just as much.
There can be a great chasm between a great player and a great teacher. I wouldn't say a good teacher dumbs down material to teach but is rather able to break complexity into digestible understandable chunks. Besides, that's a better way to learn. Good work sir
Thank you very much. That's a wonderful compliment! 😊
Thank you so much, dear Mr Fielding, for all your precioius work on these delicate and important Bach-videos. My family and I are appreciating each one of them a lot!
Thank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot to me! Ep. 23 is in progress but it'll still take me months to finish...
Thank you herr Bach!
Thank you very much!
Little known fact: About 2 years before his death Beethoven suddenly started collecting Bach manuscripts like a maniac and even took lessons from Albrechtsberger to improve his fugue-writing.
He would have appreciated this video! ❤
Thank you so much, but Van Beethoven surely knew infinitely more about the fugue than me. Well, Van Beethoven was a Bach admirer all of his life. As a young man he got admitted to the Viennese court of baron Von Swieten where he got immersed in baroque music, especially Bach and Händel. He obtained a copy of Bach's WTK and played from it every day before composing, saying that it "cleansed his mind". This copy was later found full of Van Beethoven's comments and markings. For all of his life he would try to lay his hands on every Bach manuscript he could find, often paying a lot of money for them. His "holy grail" was the mass in H minor, which he found later in his life and which became the inspiration for his Missa Solemnis. But he dedicated many more works to Bach, e.g. his Große Fugue and the end fugue of his 9th symphony. "Not brook (bach = brook) but ocean should be his name". 😊
@@BachTheAnimatedSeriesBeethoven was a prodigy, he played all the wtc 1 when he was 13/15 years old
Favourite composer of The Beatles. :-)
And many others. 😊
Just found this channel and very pleased I did. Well thought out and presented and a pleasure to watch and listen and learn. Very professional . I could imagine this as being a hit series on tv during the 70’s . Extremely entertaining. One tiny criticism ?? Johan needs a German accent …Yah ??.
But thanks enormously for this superb channel and its great animation and presentation.
Thank you very much for your kind words! About that German accent... I had thought about it originally but then everybody in the series would've had to talk with such an accent and this would have made it less understandable and perhaps even a bit "heavy". Though if you watch ep. 17 I'm sure you'll be pleased. 😆 Anyway, thank you once again!
Brilliantly lucid. Thanks!
Thank you very much! 😊
My parents finally allowed me to take piano lessons and since I’ll be starting soon I decided to watch this video and I’m so glad I did it’s amazing!!!
Thank you very much. Playing an instrument can be a curse sometimes because you have to keep practising, otherwise you lose your proficiency and all the hard work was for nothing. But playing brings you so much joy and peace of mind that it'll make you feel overjoyed that you persevered. It'll make your life whole. 😊
Always reminds me of bebop in jazz...
Or as the great Eddie Palmieri said: "Bach really was the first Jazz musician". 😊
Amazed with the form with which the autor brought the explanation over. Thanks
Thank you very much, that's a lovely compliment! 😊
Really enjoyed this explanation of the fugue vid. Thanks for posting.
Thank you very much! 😊
Nicely explained Peter, and in a unique way that I've never experienced before, hopefully if any music teachers have viewed this video, they might consider utilizing it in their school music curriculum as a teaching aid. I wish you and the family a nice Christmas, and a successful 2024. 🙏👍🎄
Thank you very much, John! All my best wishes to you as well!
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries 👍 Thank you, Peter. 👍
Very interesting, informative and worthwhile video.
Thank you very much! 😊
Thank you for explaining that in an easy to understand manner.
Thank you very much! 😊
Brilliant!!!!! Thank you.
Thank you! 😊
this is so awesome! as a complete layperson, I get it now :)
Thank you very much, that's the most beautiful compliment I could wish for! 😊
And then I discover this channel. Really great stuff!
Thank you, you're very kind! 😊
This is incredible- the thing about flipping the theme or doing into double speed is just like “process music “
Yes, a fugue is indeed a sort of process. The strange thing is that, at least for me personally, I find it the music that best cleanses the mind. Thank you for your kind words!
HAVING HEARD/SEEN ALL THIS, EVERTHING IS EVEN MORE SCARY
Don't worry about the theory, just enjoy the music. 😉
Bravo! Probably one of the best explanations I’ve encountered of what a fugue is all about. I understand the musical form fairly well, but I’m not able to clearly articulate exactly what is going on in a fugue the way you have.
BTW, I suspect Bach himself would have had difficulty in explaining a fugue to anyone with little to no exposure to music theory. Understanding something and being able to explain it to another are quite different. It is indeed the most complex of musical forms!
With that said, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is the art of fugue was propelled to a lofty pinnacle by Bach-his status as the apex master of contrapuntal writing will likely never be challenged.
Comments like yours are the most dear to me as trying to explain something in a way that everyone can understand is a very difficult task. About Bach... he managed to transform those poor orphan boys of the St. Thomas institute in such a way that in less than a year they were able to perform his St. John's Passion. This is an incredible achievement and therefore Bach must have been a formidable teacher, someone who could inspire others to excel and to achieve greatness. I wouldn't even deserve to stand in his shadow. 😊 Thank you once more!
Thank you. Complicated music explained.
Thank you very much! 😊
Thanks! Both clear an witty in many aspects!
Thank you very much!
How i fondly remember analysing fugues in a level music, so complicated but beautiful, agreed what a masterpiece!
Yes, I totally agree. So complicated but, oddly enough, so easy to listen to. Thank you! 😊
It took some time to imagine Herr Bach speaking like that! But the quality and ultra important information , mainly, to the young generation of this video, is superb!!! Bravissimo! Sharing right now! TMK
Thank you very much! 😊 Yes, the thing is that if I had given Bach a German accent, all of the other characters in the series would've had to have a similar accent as well. This would have made it less understandable and perhaps also a bit pedantic. But if you watch ep. 17 I think you're going to be happy. 😆 Anyway, I'm glad that you find this video useful... that's all I tried to achieve.
Hello! I didnt know it was a series. Ill check it out! Well, you're right about the german language. Be sure that Ill watch your work and share! Thank you for your answer and a great new year for you. Greetings from the wonderful Brazil!@@BachTheAnimatedSeries
Thank you for this wonderful introduction. It's beginning to make sense to me now.
Thank you very much! 😊
This is a truly magnificent explanation
Thank you very much! 😊
Great job… you’re so talented and I really appreciate your work
Thank you very much, Linda. 😊
Thanks. Very well done!
Thank you very much! 😊
This is really fascinating
You're very kind, thank you. 😊
❤so touching to listen to an easy explanation by Maestro Bach in person,truly a master uses simple words to let others understand a tough topic 😊
Thank you very much, you're very kind. 😊
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries U r very welcome,my pleasure!Long Life to Classical Music composers 🎼
So true your observation humbles me.
Thank you for explaining in such a nice and simple way the amazing beauty of Bach's extraordinary musical talent! I now look with more amazement and joy into his music! Many thanks for your work!!!
Thank you very much for your kind words! 😊
Excelent material!
Thank you very much!
I adore this. Thanks.
Thank you very much! 😊
Wonderful explanation, something I have been looking for, and will com back to again. This is precious simplicity with great clarity. Thanks.
Thank you very much for your lovely comment. It's exactly what I hoped to achieve. 😊
There's a wonderful quote about Bach in "23", a movie about early German hacker culture.
In one scene, a couple of computer freaks listen to a record with a Bach fugue and notice that they can play it backwards and will get basically the same song. One of them says:
"Bach was the first hacker. The cembalo was his computer. You can play it forwards and backwards."
That's a beautiful story! Thank you very much for sharing it. 😊
i really enjoyed the way you explained
Thank you very much! 😊
Brilliant explanation…loved it and appreciated it immensely.
Thank you very much! 😊
Very didactic!
Thank you very much!
Wow! What a great way to explain it! Thanks!
Thank you very much! 😊
Thank You!!
Thank you! 😊
Brilliant! I watched this with my 7 year old son and it really opened his mind up. Excellent work!
Thank you so much, that's a wonderful compliment! 😊
Never knew Bach had an English accent.
🤣 Yes, I know. The problem is that if I had used a German accent for Bach I would've had to use the same accent for all of the other characters as well. Apart from difficult to understand it would probably also have made the series more pedantic. Still, if you watch ep. 17 you're going to be pleased. 😊
Wish I could have this at school many years ago. Great work!
Thank you very much! 😊
Amazing! Bach is my favorite composer and now I'm beginning to understand why
Thank you! The odd thing about Bach is that he may have written the most complicated music ever, I find his music the easiest to listen to. All the best!
I can relate to that, I just can't stop listening when I hear Bach! Keep up your great work and all the best to you!
Estoy maravillado por este video, muchas gracias de verdad, J.S Bach es mi compositor favorito, también estoy entusiasmado por haber encontrado este canal de UA-cam.❤
Muchas gracias! 🤩
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries Wait a minute... Do you speak Spanish too? Or did you use Google Translate? Just asking.
@@jmrabinez9254Lo siento por la tardanza.
UA-cam tiene la opción de traducir los subtítulos de forma automática.
Amazing!
Thank you very much! 😊
Bach, the master musician. Period! ❤️💪🥇🏆
Thank you very much!
Excellent, thank you
Thank you very much!
Nice. Great explanation for young and for many adults, most actually.
I really think that fugue would not be familiar however with people who are not musicians or Bach keyboard fans.
Great work, great composer, great channel. Thanks
Thank you very much for your kind compliments and comments! 😊
Really well done - thanks so much
Thank you very much!
Nice for you to break down the fugue. I think fugues were not meant to challenge the listener.They were supposed to be an enjoyable experience. Like a. good essay, a good fugue should make total sense and have a sense of clarity When I listen to most big record label bourgois pianists or harpsichordists though they play them in a way that is very mechanical, and I think usually far too fast. It is a modern thing I think. There also seems to be a big problem with breathing. That is why I prefer to listen to Bach peformed by choral groups or ensembles.
I totally agree with you. I even have the impression that Bach's often used as a speed contest and perhaps I played BWV885 a little bit too fast as well... it's so easy to get carried away at the keyboard. Thank you very much for your valuable comment.
Trite and false.
It's intellectual and visually (organized movement) aesthetic.
@MusicMatters
@simonsmatthew You may enjoy E. Power Biggs performances.
What a blessing!
Thank you very much! 😊
Thank u so much it took me months to fully understand what and how fugue voices this helped a lot
Thank you very much, that's an incredible compliment. 😊
Brilliant video.
Thank you very much! 😊
Thank you for this
Thank you! 😊
Fantastic material for both teachers and students.
Estupendo material pedagógico tanto para profesores como para estudiantes.
Congratulations!
Thank you very much for the lovely compliment! 😊
thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
awesome thanks!
Thank you! 😊
Thanks Bach! 🙏🏼
Thank you! 😊
So far, I have watched every episode of Bach the animated series, from episode 1 through to episode 22, looking forward to watching more episodes, please keep them coming....cheers!!!
Thank you very much. I'm terribly sorry that it always takes me months to finish them, but hopefully you'll find it worth the wait. Very best regards, Peter
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries That's perfectly okay, I can understand how much work goes into producing each episode, and yes it is always worth the wait for sure, I watched the film Amadeus on Netflix, I think Mozart may have been one of Bach's contemporaries or I could be wrong, I wonder if JS Bach knew about Mozart?
No, Mozart was born 6 years after Bach's death, but in his later years Mozart got to know Bach's work very well and he was even profoundly influenced by it, e.g. in his Requiem or in his 41st symphony. When he visited Leipzig in 1789 and heard one of Bach's motets he was reportedly in ecstasy and when the piece was finished he exclaimed: "Now here's something one can learn from!". Later that evening he was seen sitting on the floor surrounded by every Bach score they could find. 😊
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries What an interesting “factoid.” If you ever run out of inspiration for a next UA-cam, it would be fun to hear little known bits of info like that. Or maybe you could just collect them as you go along, for a UA-cam compendium one day. Or maybe I should stop thinking up things for someone else to do! It would be interesting, though, to hear examples of how Bach influenced other composers over time. I remember listening to a piece on the radio once, thinking, “This sounds like Bach, but not.” It turned out to be a Liszt variation of Bach. How many composers must there be who have tried that on?
Thanks so much for this clear explanation of a fugue. Anyone who might criticize you for oversimplifying, doesn’t need the kind of instruction you are so generously providing to the rest of us. That’s what attracted me to this video. I never understood the basic structure before, and you picked a perfect illustration! I hung onto that repeated note to keep my bearings. I look forward to exploring the rest of your series.
have you heard chopins fugue in a minor. absolutely incredible and i can understand what you have explained here through that. since i’ve not listened to many of bachs pieces
Yes, it's an amazing piece and so a-typical of him. Hopefully you'll now discover also some of Bach's work as well because if you loved Chopin's, you're going to adore Bach's fugues as well. Thank you very much for the wonderful comments and all my best wishes to you for 2024!
Well done!
Thank you very much! 😊
Fugues and canons are different. Canons repeat the exact melody a couple of bars later. Fugue imitate the melody a couple of bars later on the dominant or subdominant and vary it. Fugues also have stretti, in which the melody is condensed.
Very true and I think that I explained that in this video. The fugue originates from the canon so that's why I mentioned it.
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries Yes, indeed. But what I was missing were variations of the fugue, like stretti. It is very common in fugues that melody and counterpoint are played very prominently in the exposition, and then repeated in shortened forms and smaller intervals, woven into each other, to make the sound more interesting.
Wonderful video
Thank you very much! 😊
An expository presentation of absolute clarity , which any disciple would want from his master ! THE FUGUE , a sublime dialog ! Thank you , Master Johann Sebastian Bach , congratulations and reverence , Mr. Fielding !!! The best gift on Christmas Eve !!!🎼🎵🎼🎶🌲🎁
Too kind as always, Alexandru. My very best wishes to you, your family and loved ones! 😊
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries Thank yoi , Happy Christmas a beautiful heart to you and your loved ones in the family !🌲🎇🔥
thanks to Maestro😊
Thank you! 😊
please make more videos like this!
I surely will, though first I have to finish Bach's life story. Thank you very much!
Brilliant
Thank you very much!
WELL DONE AND VERY GOOD EXPLANATION
Thank you very much! 😊
I love this
Thank you very much! 😊
The structure of an 18th century fugue is:
1. Subject (the main melody)
2. The subject repeated in the dominant key, accompanied by a countersubject (a different melody)
3. The subject, accompanied by the countersubject, repeated in keys related to the tonic key of the main subject (this creates tension)
4. Stretto. The subject and countersubject are repeatedly overlapped to create a climax.
5. Conclusion. A fast modulation from a dissonant key to the tonic key in order to create a resolution.
An 18th century fugue consists of a statement, an exposition of the statement, and a return to the original statement. It's similar to the sonata style that followed with Haydn and Mozart, but without the rhythmic style and complexity.
A stretto isn't necessarily a part of a fugue. Stretto is Italian for "short", i.e. only a part of the theme is played, which I tried to show in the video by e.g. "The weather is...". But yes, one might argue that the sonata is similar as it has two themes and both of equal importance, but no counterpoint. Also the sonata was a baroque invention, by the way, and Bach wrote a number of them but especially Scarlatti was a master of this style.
@@BachTheAnimatedSeries I know stretto isn't necessary, but it's often the climax of Bach's fugues. The Classical style (as compared to the Baroque style) of sonata, was entirely the invention of Franz Josef Haydn (see Charles Rosen's "The Classical Style"). And Classical style sonatas absolutely do have counterpoint! All Western European music after Gregorian chant has been contrapuntal.