What makes a song a fugue?

In music, a fugue (/fjuːɡ/) is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the course of the composition.

How many voices are in a typical fugue?

Most fugues are in three or four voices (“à 3” or “à 4”), but not all of these are used at any given moment; it is common for an episode to proceed in as few as two voices.

What is the difference between a fugue and a canon?

A fugue is also a contrapuntal composition, in general with 4 or more voices. While a canon is usually a short melodic line with its strict imitations, a fugue is generally a longer composition that has more structure in its whole (it’s divided in sections) and is less strict in terms of imitations.

What is an example of fugue?

Two excellent examples of triple fugue (i.e., having three subjects) are Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, No. 4, and his Fugue in E-flat Major for organ, BWV 552, called the St. A fughetta is a short fugue, with exposition plus only a few restatements of the subject.

Is Row Row Row Your Boat a fugue?

Row, row, row your boat is not a fugue and it often is done as a canon which is simply means a group of people singing the same song but each person starts the tune at different times. That is the simplest form of counterpoint.

Is a fugue a round?

A fugue may sometimes be confused as a round, however, these two are very different. In a fugue, a voice presents the main subject and then may proceed to different material, while in a round there is an exact imitation of the subject.

What genre is a fugue?

Even so, a fugue is a class, kind or type of musical composition, and the word fugue is often part of the composition’s title (much like the word “symphony”). In this sense, fugue can be considered a musical genre. Most often, a fugue in joined with a prelude establishing a two-movement entity.

Is fugue sacred or secular?

Yet by the middle of the 18th century, the fugue had passed its peak in popularity with composers; in the late 18th century, the fugue would survive chiefly in sacred music as a model of hallowed tradition.

What type of mental disorder is a fugue state?

Dissociative fugue, formerly called psychogenic fugue, is one of a group of conditions called dissociative disorders.

What is the formal structure of a fugue in music?

A fugue has three main sections, the Exposition, the Middle Section (sometimes referred to as the modulating section) and the Final Section . The sections in a fugue refer to contrasts in key rather than theme. The exposition begins the fugue and a single voice plays the subject establishing the tonic key.

What is the main theme of a fugue called?

Original conversation. User: The main theme of a fugue is called the A. exposition. Weegy: The main theme of a fugue is called the subject.

What is the musical form of Fugue?

A fugue is the most complex polyphonic musical form, involving imitation among the parts (called “voices” whether they are vocal or instrumental). The word fugue comes from fuga, meaning to chase since each voice “chases” the previous one. The composition of a fugue starts with the choice of a musical theme of a particular kind called the subject.

What is the first section of a fugue?

The first section of the fugue is the exposition. The exposition begins with one of the voices presenting the subject or theme of the fugue. A second voice follows with the answer (we will discuss later what makes an answer different to the subject).