Page:Fugue by Ebenezer Prout.djvu/212

J. S. Bach. Cantata, "Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele."

The subject here (as will be seen later when the two are combined) extends to the D at the beginning of the fifth bar. We have here therefore a "close fugue" (§ 279), though the answer does not enter so immediately after the commencement of the subject as in the examples of this kind of fugue previously given. The small notes on the bass staff show, as in other cases, the real (instrumental) bass of the harmony. We have here a quite regular exposition, of which (to save space) we have omitted the last two bars of the bass entry. In the continuation of the passage there are two instrumental entries—subject (2nd violins), answer (1st violins), making in all an exposition of a six-part fugue.

388. After three bars of interlude for the orchestra, there is a counter-exposition of the first subject. Here the bass leads with the answer and the tenor replies with the subject, all the entries being in the reverse order of that of the first exposition. We exceptionally find here that it is only the order of entry that is reversed; usually a voice that had the answer in the exposition will have the subject in the counter-exposition, and vice versa.

389. The counter-exposition is followed at once by the exposition of the second subject.