Page:Fugue by Ebenezer Prout.djvu/59

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Chap. III.]

Fugue.

41

102. We now have to consider an important class of subjects—those that commence on the dominant. The old rule again was here absolute—that when the subject began on the dominant the answer must begin on the tonic.^[1] This rule, like that discussed in §§ 86, 87, is observed by the great masters in the large majority of instances; but numerous exceptions are to be found to it. A few examples of its observance will first be given—

J. S. Bach. Wohltemperirtes Clavier, Fugue 13.

$\new ChoirStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \key fis \major \time 4/4 \mark \markup \tiny { ( \italic a ) } r8^\markup \bold "S" cis fis eis fis eis16 dis cis8.\prall b32 cis | dis4 r8 cis b ais gis cis | ais_"&c." } \new Staff \relative f' { \key fis \major r8^\markup \bold "A" fis cis' bis cis bis16 ais gis8.\prall fis32 gis | ais4 r8 gis fis eis dis gis | eis } >>$

J. S. Bach. Wohltemperirtes Clavier, Fugue 40.

$\new ChoirStaff << \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical \new Staff \relative d' { \clef bass \key g \minor \time 3/4 \mark \markup \tiny { ( \italic b ) } r4^\markup \bold "S" d r8 bes | ees4 c r8 a | d4 bes r8 g | c c c c c c | c bes16 a bes } \new Staff \relative g' { \key g \minor r4^\markup \bold "A" g r8 f | bes4 g r8 e | a4 f r8 d | g g g g g g | g f16 e f } >>$

In these answers, which contain no modulation, the first note is the only one which differs from a real answer. The dominant in the third bar of (b) is not answered by the tonic. Sometimes, however (though much more rarely), the dominant is answered by the tonic on its later appearances, as in the following answers—

J. S. Bach. Organ Fugue in E flat (St. Ann's).

$\new ChoirStaff << \new Staff \relative b { \key ees \major \time 4/2 \mark \markup \tiny { ( \italic c ) } bes1^\markup \bold "S" g2 c | bes ees1 d2 | ees4 } \new Staff \relative e { \clef bass \key ees \major ees1^\markup \bold "A" d2 g | ees bes'1 a2 | bes4 } >>$

Mendelssohn. 'Elijah.'

$\new ChoirStaff << \new Staff \relative a, { \clef bass \key d \minor \time 4/4 \partial 8 \mark \markup \tiny { ( \italic d ) } a8(^\markup \bold "S" | bes4) r8 a( bes4) r8 a$ | bes g$ cis$ d16 e$ e8( d)_"etc." } \new Staff \relative d { \clef bass \key d \minor d8(^\markup \bold "A" | f4) r8 d( f4) r8 d^$ | f d$ gis$ a16 b$ b8( a) } >>$

↑ If, however, the dominant was an unaccented note of small value, a real answer was sometimes allowed even by the old theorists.

[1] If, however, the dominant was an unaccented note of small value, a real answer was sometimes allowed even by the old theorists.

[1]