How do you (not) write a fugue?
Музыка
In my first semester of tonal counterpoint class, our final assignment was to write a 4-voice fugue... so I said yOLO and wrote this meme fugue as the final assignment - with the lyrics being my revision notes from class haha. Huge shoutout to Prof. Nicole Biamonte for accepting this fugue as a valid assignment and not instantly dunking on my grades, especially with the "intentional parallel fifths" section. I later gathered 4 singers (with me playing the piano part) and played through this, huge thank you to Alice Boissinot (Soprano), Elissa Dresdner (Alto), Adam Schmidt (Tenor), and Tristan Pritham (Bass) for singing this, and Mehdi Rahimdokht, Victoria Barroso, and Matthew Souaid for the recording. It was incredible - the singers learnt and sung this fugue at this level with only 2 hours of rehearsal!
I also have to shoutout my two inspirations for this fugue: the first being my favorite fugue to this day, Glenn Gould's parodistic "So You Want to Write a Fugue?" • Glenn Gould - So You W... and second is Freddy Wickham's self-explanatory "Ontological Fugue" • Ontological fugue - th... . I decided to go in the direction of these two pieces, but take a step further by adding theatrics, intentional "counterpoint error" sections, and slipping in familiar quotations (Art of Fugue, Double Violin Concerto, Christmas Tunes).
The piece can be summarized in three sections - The exposition (which introduces basic fugal techniques), the middle/"development" (where errors/fugal parodies are gradually introduced in a tongue-in-cheek manner), and the "recapitulation" (where the singers break the 4th wall, address the listener, and question the philosophy of compositional aesthetics and rules... yep it gets pretty off-the-rails haha).
Overall, I wanted a piece that could be appreciated by all levels - those that do not have much familiarity with fugal writing will gain something from it, and those that are experts in fugues will enjoy the humorous parodistic subversion of counterpoint expectations. (And of course the main reason, I needed to write a fugue for a tonal counterpoint class assignment).
Please listen to this with headphones/stereo, as I've panned the voices to make it easier to distinguish the lines (Soprano/Bass to the left, Alto/Tenor to the right).
A more detailed analysis (For word count's sake, Subject/Answer/Countersubject = Sub/Ans/CS, Soprano = S, Alto = A, Tenor = T, Bass = B)
0:00 - Ridiculous 10 bar Sub. in B (this is gonna be a long exposition)
0:15 - Ans. in T, CS in B (for the sake of keeping it simple, only real answer at the 5th will be explained in the lyrics)
0:32 - Codetta/Mini-Episode/Retransition Section
0:45 - Sub. in A, CS in T
1:00 - Ans. in S, CS in A
1:17 - End of Exposition, fragments presented
1:21 - Episode: Sequence with sub. fragment that forms a canon at the 7th below (With S and B)
1:31 - Deck the Halls quote, modulation to D Maj
1:35 - Triple entry of modified sub. in A, T (augmentation), and B (technically not a true stretto)
1:42 - For a 10 bar subject, metrically starting on a weaker beat makes the harmonic rhythm a bit wack (shorter subjects can be displaced easier)
1:50 - Ans. in T, CS in A (Voice crossing frowned upon)
2:06 - Episode: Sequence with diminution of sub. fragment
2:21 - Inversion of Sub. (Parodying a Double Fugue Entry)
2:30 - Intentional Parallel Fifths
2:33 - Inv. Sub. in A, New CS in B, almost like a new double fugue exposition
2:41 - I thought it would be funny to leap while the singer complains about said leaps (though in this case, those "random leaps" in A are part of the inverted sub.)
2:50 - Inv. Sub. in S, New CS in A, but this exposition is thrown out of the window with what comes next!
3:01 - I asked myself: how far can I take the idea of stretto? This was the result! Diminution of Sub. in T and B, Diminution of inverted Sub. in S and A.
3:14 - S does augmentation/upward suspensions against the diminution stretto
3:27 - Inv. of sub. fragment (bar 3 idea) in ascending stretto
3:36 - Phrygian Cadence (Modal counterpoint reference!)
3:42 - Bach Art of Fugue in Piano (hinted by S and B lyrics previously)
3:49 - Bach Double Violin Concerto quotation
3:53 - Art of Fugue against the original subject! (Start of "recapitulation" - parodies a double fugue where one combines the two previously heard themes, but in this case it's art of fugue, literally heard a few bars ago by a random piano solo haha)
4:07 - Sub. in B, CS in A
4:23 - CS intentionally enters in the "wrong" voice (S), Sub. in T (had to be modified as some notes are out of a standard tenor's range). Final entry of the recap is skipped.
4:38 - Dominant Pedal with sub. + inverted sub. diminution in S
4:46 - Crunchy suspensions!
4:54 - Even crunchier suspensions!
5:07 - Final entry of subject head (augmented version in A), + 4-3 suspension resolving to picardy in T
Social Media:
/ nicholasma01
#fugue #counterpoint #satb #choir
Пікірлер: 442
i barely know music theory but i really feel like writing a fugue after hearing this
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
That's awesome! It's always good to start learning now rather than later, so I'm glad to hear this fugue is motivational!
@JT29501
Жыл бұрын
"For the only way to write one, Is just to plunge right in and write one. So just forget the rules and write one" :) Ok, you probably won't write *good* fugue following Gould's advice, but hey its fun to imagine!
@nealharder
Жыл бұрын
@@JT29501 4:45 "Writing a 'bad' fugue is better then never writing one at all"... he's got you covered!
@ronb6182
Жыл бұрын
Writing one in first species has many rules. But it's a start. 73
@ronb6182
Жыл бұрын
I took music theory first in the tenth grade then repeated it in the twelfth grade then in college. But I had a taste of counterpoint in my Jr year in college. I could not sight-read and failed the piano Proficiency test so I went into electronics. That's all she wrote. 73
This is unironically a masterpiece
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you, happy you enjoyed this!
@deidara1792
Жыл бұрын
IT FUCKING IS
@sibionic
Жыл бұрын
Come on, Bach is always better than this.
@elricardodos
Жыл бұрын
@@sibionic Maybe Bach in the day, but times have changed. I'll get off your Bach about it though, should probably Bachpedal some of what I said
@sibionic
Жыл бұрын
@@elricardodos It's still clever stuff though!
honestly this should be used for music composition classes
@sofiabosco7892
Жыл бұрын
I showed it to my choir teacher She said "if only you could sing like that"
@curiousbat5368
9 ай бұрын
How?
The "walk on-stage like a diva" and "in a sassy manner" for the soprano was so accurate x) it's a true masterpiece. Thank you so much.
Fun fact: During my brief tenure as a music major I had just one shining moment of "genius". I wrote a very short, kick ass counterpoint piece for my Music Theory 102 class...my prof actually called it genius. To this day I have no idea what I did and as I am now a historian, I have obviously never been able to replicate it. It's probably a good thing though, because I would much rather be an enthusiastic audience member for people like you, Nicholas, who are actual musical geniuses. One thing I love about this piece of music is the humor you inject in lyrics and staging suggestions. 💕
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! That’s great to hear your positive experience, and hey you could always try writing another one! After all, (as the ending of this fugue’s lyrics imply), it’s always better to try to write something and learn from the experience than to never write one at all!
@charliefranklin8523
Жыл бұрын
You should upload it!!
@アヤミ
Жыл бұрын
please share it with the world!
@badbovine7427
Жыл бұрын
Can you send me a link to it?
@jmrabinez9254
Жыл бұрын
And why are you now a historian? What's a tenure?
Glenn Gould would be proud.
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
A bit of augmentation is a serious temptation, as he would say!
THIS IS AMAZING WTF 😩 everyone sounds incredible but especially the soprano wow
@sofiabosco7892
Жыл бұрын
The soprano is amazing
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! It was honestly incredible how quickly they managed to learn the piece and put it together (we had about 2 hours of total rehearsal time!)
@snazzytangerine2539
8 ай бұрын
@@NicholasMaMusic Wow! That is incredible alone, not even mentioning the limited rehearsal time. I love watching things like this because it really is inspiring to see a piece that takes a fun concept and makes such incredible art out of it. I'm definitely still pretty new to music theory but now I want to do a little research and write a fugue lol. Thank you!
This was so good yet confusing at same time I’m thinking a writing a fugue now
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Haha love to hear that, definitely go write one! As a certain fugue once said, "now it's your turn, show us how to write a fugue!"
@wyattstevens8574
Жыл бұрын
@@NicholasMaMusic LOL- 3:55, after the piano solo
Fuguetastic work 👌
@sofiabosco7892
Жыл бұрын
Fuguebulous
@jr2470
Жыл бұрын
You guys should get together and write some fugues.
@sofiabosco7892
Жыл бұрын
@@jr2470 that's a fugueiful idea
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you Freddy! Yours is also amazing and fun, this truly is an unfuguettable experience :)
I now need to see a video of this being performed with all the actions.
@wyattstevens8574
Жыл бұрын
"Um... tenor, something's wrong! But let's see what our alto has to say!"
This is truly awesome! I love how from the middle onwards, when the "how to NOT write a fugue" passage begins, this piece goes instantly into pre-classical / renaissance territory, strongly reminiscent of Monteverdi, Palestrina or Josquin. I think these are the most striking and original parts. Bach is cool and all, but I believe the Bach dogma is still too imposing on contemporary counterpoint writing even 300 years later. Please do more of that stuff.
@wyattstevens8574
Жыл бұрын
It's basically a madrigal at that point!
@applejuices
8 ай бұрын
I for some reason find "Bach dogma" to be unreasonably funny
The singers have such lovely voices. Great musicianship!
Amazing! I'll to listen it some more times to get everything. That Deck The Halls at 1:29 broke me!
How is this an educational piece, a motivational speach, unapologetic propaganda for fugue-writing, an actual university assignment and good music simultaneously?
The Art Of Fugue reference in the middle is amazing ! 👌
3:14 feels so emotional. Idek how to express this harmonic beauty. It just feels so good deep within and makes me want to cry.... This is, without a doubt, a masterpiece!! Bravo!!
This is genius !! Exactly the kind of content I love to see from the counterpoint music community ! I’m adding your work next to Glenn Gould’s !
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for holding this in such high regard!
@arkeo2001
Жыл бұрын
Me too. It is already in my player in the same folder of "so, you want to write a fugue".
This made me appreciate fugues way more than all my years of piano lessons did
Exceedingly brilliant. Possibly your grweatest work.
@sofiabosco7892
Жыл бұрын
It's fuguetastic
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! I had so much fun composing this :)
Laughing my ass off while looking at the score with awe. This is exceptionally great!
Brilliant. I love it. It is on the same level with Glenn Gould’s ‘So you want to write a fugue’ and Ben Comeau’s ‘Boris Johnson’ fugue. Brings a smile to my face...
You're a genius, Nicholas! I love fugues, and you've written something better than I ever could. Even when it breaks the 'rules'...your writing is fantastic. I *knew* you were going to quote the 'Art of Fugue' theme when I heard the words.
@ChristopherNelson42
8 ай бұрын
I could be wrong, but I, pretty sure this is a Bach fugue that was given lyrics
@kaibalonek2916
4 ай бұрын
@@ChristopherNelson42 Most of it wasn't, but the bit in the middle was 100% Bach's "art of the fugue" (as the lyrics hinted). The rest was (as stated in the description) composed by Nicholas for his final project in tonal counterpoint.
Those stage directions make this even better than it is I'd kill to see this on video
I've never listened to a fugue before, so I can't comment on its quality as compared to other fugues, but it sounds brilliant, was very informative, and also everyone sung beautifully (props to that tenor especially).
Nicholas's greatest masterpiece. Added to The List of music to never forget!
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your praise, I'm flattered to hear that haha!
Hi Nicholas. This has been such an amazing contribution to youtubes fugue-writing landscape. Your inspirations, Gould and Wickham, I have heard countless of times. I am very thankful for what you have done and I am now more motivated than ever to return to learning the art of the fugue. I hope to see more from you and those amazing singers.
The E2 on the bass voice is chilling. Great job to him and the others!
Brilliant. I wish I had this video 30 years ago when I was a composition student trying to unravel fugues from the literature !!!!
Bro that was freaking amazing, I felt like my brain was elevating
This is fugueing brilliant
Brilliant cameo for the art of fugue subject!
You are utterly brilliant, Nicholas Ma!
My own compsitions thus far have been fairly simple and strictly amateur, but now I feel inspired to dabble in fugue. Great video!
Big fan of the note for the bass section in the Deck the Halls quote modulation timestamp It’s so considerate of the Basses who wish to sing this masterpiece
For moments like this, stumbling upon a piece of pedagogic genius, I feel grateful for the KZread algorithm highlighting this video. Thank you!
this tiny moment in my life is when id actually like to study music
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Haha thank you! And hey now's always the best time to start!
I've been trying to write a fugue for a while now, but every attempt I've made so far I've given up on. This really gives me a much-needed push to go and do something with my summer break! Thank you
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! It'll be a productive summer - always better now than never to have this experience of fugue writing!
Brilliant! Love all the different texts, stage directions - and the music itself! Beautifully sung and played too
So beautiful! I need to show my theory teacher this!
Man the reference to the Art of the Fugue and the usage of it's subject was great! Really sold it for me I think. Please keep making more music like this!
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the art of fugue bits, the combination of the alto subject in counterpoint with the soprano art of fugue quotation was probably my favorite part to write :)
@sdzhchannel
Жыл бұрын
@@NicholasMaMusic I was hoping for it to turn into a full blown double fugue but even so, it's great!
Brilliant, sir. Thanks for the reference to BWV 1043, a masterpiece among Herr Bach's masterpieces. It is quite amazing enough to do this at all let alone with such a long subject!
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! It was a fun challenge trying to fit multiple references like the double violin concerto in here, glad you’re noticing them and liking it!
In love with "a fifth higheeeeer" part (and bar 122 - soprano, of course).
First ever self-aware Fugue. Very Genius, Much Polyphonie !!
Love this😄 as someone who has played the Bach Double sooo many times it made me extremely happy to hear the reference 😁
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Haha yeah the Bach is such a great piece!
Managing to combine great musical skill with this sense of humor is absolutely genius. Nicely done.
Brilliant! Congrats on this wonderful demonstration!
That is amazing and somewhat amusing (almost hilarious). Well done! (and you sneaked in the Art of Fugue theme from Bach himself. I'm sure he would be grinning)
As a singer I had a stroke while listening to this, well done! But, some parts did mix really well, if only it wasn't how you write a fugue.
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
This is actually brilliant. Fantastic work!!
Great piece and congratulations from a Bach enthusiast !
This was incredibly beautiful and funny at the same time! Very well done!
I keep coming back to this video I can never get enough of it, and I bet that in a year I’ll still come back to it
This masterpiece is extraordinary! Well done! 👍
I've been considering going into music as a career/hobby and seeing other people's compositions are just breathtaking...
Your work is so amazing, you are a great compositor !!! I like your music ! Great job
HOLY MOLY The best fugue ever written
@sofiabosco7892
Жыл бұрын
Irrelevant but I love your profile picture
@yuk_notkim7658
Жыл бұрын
Nah, Bach fugues are still the best.
You never cease to disappoint. Yet another masterpiece!
This is amazing, i wanna try writing a fugue but now that I know the “rules” of music theory i have a habit of breaking all of them any time I compose
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
That's great to hear! It's fun learning the rules but also even more fun to intentionally (or unintentionally) break them!
@reversestudios1055
Жыл бұрын
@@NicholasMaMusic it definitely is fun, I like working with dissonance a lot, although it isn’t most people’s favorite, I might end up posting something I’ve done that’s very dissonant soon lol
This is absolutely brilliant! 👏🏆👏
its actually like so well written i can't believe how it went as a joke and turned to a masterpiece
Listened to this yesterday, and it has *thoroughly* wormed its way into my brain (as fugues often do). Thanks for sharing; I really enjoy it! Also, very nice work in splitting the parts left and right; makes it more fun to listen to.
@soratorb
3 ай бұрын
I'm back, and "deck the halls with boughs of holly, we are now in another key!" is definitely one of my favorite musical phrases ever
Not only is this a beautiful fugue, but an inspiring one too
i got goosebumps! this is seriously amazing, i love glenn goulds similiar composition but i believe yours is so much better! more developed and beautifully composed!
Omg I must say you are a genius
Such wonderful simple intricacy. Good for the mind, good for the heart.
Es ist so wunderschön. It's so beautiful. I wish you all the best for your future musical career. I don't know many with such talent.
Absolutely amazing!!
The theme is stuck in my head now😂 I really need to see a performance of this piece!
I can't be the only one singing along with the voices
@kaibalonek2916
4 ай бұрын
You're not.
@Graham_M
3 ай бұрын
Don’t worry you’re not 💀
Wow, you've expanded on Glenn Gould's idea and added humor, with inventive and informative lyrics.
3:00-3:27 I love it so much ! What an amazing work, this is a masterpiece
Bach's been real quiet since this dropped.
absolut fantastisch und auf Augenhöhe mit Glen Gould!
This is rather brilliant!
Bravo. Really, truly, bravo. This is genius.
This is a headbanger masterpiece.
This is so good till a question can be a song Im amazed
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
its giving Byrd's sing joyfully that I had to sing for District Choir and im unironically loving it
This is crazy! Amazing work. It helps me with studying music theory. Thanks
It's a lovely fugue - very inspirational.
Been a while since your last upload, but still as 🔥 as ever
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you, glad the wait was worth it!
Great work!
incredible
Lovely tenor voice in this. Quality of his first entry took me by surprise!
just a point you might want to consider. most fugues I see online here are written in the melodic style of Bach and the Baroque. are you familiar with the Fugues of Alan Hovhaness, the composer of over 65 symphonies and a huge array of other works? he writes fugues in a more melodically modern style, and so demonstrates that it can be done. It can be done!! :)
@NicholasMaMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! And yes I agree, it's fascinating to see how other more modern composers go about writing fugues (like Hindemith's Ludus Tonalis, Shostakovich's Op 87, or the one in Bartok's Music for Strings Percussion and Celesta!)
Great job. Genius! ❤
Very nice! I love the use of Bachs ideas
This is very well done. Each voice can be understood both musically and verbally. Its also amusing how its the answer to Glenn Gould's question fugue, so you want to write a fugue...
This is amazing
Genius! And helpful too!
Picardy ending for the tenor 🤣 Bravo!!
My new favourite piece.
Brilliant!
Gorgeous work, a not-so-little masterpiece Great!
The part "I want to write a double violin concerto instead" is the best! 😂😂
Nice little tutorial explaining stuff by doing the stuff using an example of the stuff you are trying to teach. It's the stuff of legends
I bet Gould would be proud of this, great job!
Literally get a choir on this right now, we need it
Damn this is the greatest fugue ever
Proof that you can definitely be clever for the sake of being clever. This is a masterpiece. Hats off.