Bach, Johann Sebastian : Fuge a-moll BWV 959
Work Overview
Composition Year:1710
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:fuga
Total Playing Time:3 min 10 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Asayama, Natsuko
Last Updated: June 1, 2008
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Author : Asayama, Natsuko
It is clear from the musical content that this cannot be a work by Bach. However, it is not necessarily correct to definitively label this work as musically 'unskillful'. Viewed as a fugue, it certainly appears to lack not only contrapuntal development but also proper voice leading, and it frequently employs successions of triads and sequential progressions that seem incompatible with polyphony. Furthermore, the subject itself is hardly suited for contrapuntal development.
Nevertheless, the coherence of each section led by the fugal subject is clear, and the concluding section prepares for the entry of the next subject. The tension created by its harmonic progressions and changes in register is even dramatic. This work should perhaps be regarded not so much as a fugue, but rather as a short piece employing a fugal style; viewed in this light, the musical figures that are readily discarded in each section—rather than indicating a lack of development—could instead be seen as rich in creativity.