Fugue in G minor

[Chefodeath]

Ah, what a fun fugue

[monsterrockenergy]

Precious music! Very nice one!

[gsarci2011]

Maybe a little difficult, sir, this is a four-voice fugue, and I don't know if I can play this with a speed like that while trying to hit the notes correctly... but, a nice job in composing this one, anyway, although your friend composed much of this...

[curvycom]

@gsarci2011 Ah well, I didn't really write it with a particular instrument in mind. Also perhaps I wasn't clear in the explanation area? My friend didn't "Compose much of this" he merely pointed out the parallel fifths and octaves that I missed.

I think you could probably play this if you added your feet (organ or pedal harpsichord, or something electronic) I usually write my fugues out for two keyboardists, which always works: four voices, four hands.

[curvycom]

@gsarci2011 UPDATE: I reread my explanation section and realized that you are absolutely correct in pointing out my unclear meaning. I have edited my explanation section to make it more clear. Thanks very much for helping me to do that!

[gsarci2011]

@curvycom no problem!...hey, any plans of uploading more videos like this?

[Le0Fender]

Man, you should have ended it in G major, not in G minor.

[curvycom]

@Le0Fender naw, the picardy third, as it's called, is a device people use lately when writing minor counterpoint. That doesn't mean one has to do it every time. Bach used it, for example, but certainly not every time--not even close to half the time. I thought about doing it, but decided I liked it the minor better. If I had done it, I might have rendered the motiv in a major key and/or played around with the 3rd of picardy concept in some other way. Good idea you must be a good musician!!

[UsagiTsunami]

Wow. I think this is brilliant. Would love to hear the live performance, but it's great to watch the graphics. Makes me want to do a weaving!

[bolo4545]

it sounds awesome! very nice!

[curvycom]

To whom it may concern:

It seems that youtube has corrected the sync problems -- or the new version of flash perhaps deals better with badly converted video, maybe?

Either way, the video seems to be syncing up now for everyone

[koric64]

Wow, nice stretti. I always have trouble writing in a triple metre. During the first exposition, try to have your 4th entry in an outer voice. It will be more easily recognized, and this will better emphasize the 4-voice texture.

[curvycom]

@koric64: Wow good ear/eyes! And also good advice about the 2nd stretto. The story of how it got the way it is follows:

It was originally a 3 voice stretto. At three voices I really loved how it sounded so I wanted to add a 4th voice making a full Stretto of it but without changing its overall harmonic impact.

[curvycom]

So I set about to "hide" the fourth voice inside the other three. This gave me the opportunity to keep the sound I wanted plus add a few fancy harmonies that would add or support the over all melody/harmony sound of it without changing its overall sound. If you want to try an experiment try removing the fourth voice and changing a few notes and you will get a pretty good idea of the second stretto as it was before I added (or embedded, if you will) the fourth voice.

[danielchong1234]

i am learning the rules for the SATB but i can't think of how it can be used to compose this complicated music with emotion while maintaining the rules.or this is other then the SATB harmony?

[curvycom]

you can apply the SATB rules to any tonal harmony, they work pretty well, and are a faster way to determine what "sounds right" in each case than trial and error. I'm not so good at following rules, so sometimes I use trial and error. And or have a music theory nerd look at them and apply the rules to see what I may have missed.-- they also have computer programs that will help with this--although they don't catch absolutely everyting like a good Music Degree type nerd will find.

[azuredreams717]

I'm as versed in music theory as some, but I know what sounds good. This sounds good. Don't ruin it by trying to fit it closer to the "form." Go your own way.

[Echnaton1993]

Very nice! I tried to write some fugues too but the are to short and aren't really good. But this is a fugue like just Bach could write them. So great and full of emotion. You are a person how could finish the last of Bach fugues, Contrapunctus XIV from the art of fugue. I'm sure it would sound great!

[andolin]

This is great for an early composition. I hope that you continue to pursue both composition and theory so that you may progress even further.

Congratulations.

[kaimanathemetalhead]

I'd be lucky just to write 1 minute, that was excellent i enjoyed it very much. Props. 5/5

[fagottist]

i know from experiance that the fugue is the most beautiful and also the most difficult of forms

i tip my hat to you

i might upload my efforts

[wikt0rius]

Interesting fugue but too short and to simply

[chrismerrill1974]

You have a lot of talent, and your music is wonderful! I'm a beginner learning how to write in this style, and your work is inspiring to me.

[GTTDG]

Great!

[AsSomedayItMayHappen]

you were thinking of doing any other ones, and if you had any advice for others who were interesting in the style and understanding its structure, history, and so on.

[curvycom]

I'd say study first and second semester counterpoint, regardless of whether you are at school or not. You can get the some resources for free on the web. But the way those classes are structured is similar to how your private studies could be done. Also listen to a lot of counterpoint, especially Bach. Maybe get some Midi software (Cakewalk, for example) and some scoring software (like Sibelius). These things make composing much easier because you can hear what you are writing more quickly.

[AsSomedayItMayHappen]

I visited your site and saw this along with the other ones, and they are all quite good. I was wondering if

[minichuaman]

i dont want to say it starts to sound really chaotic and repetative in some parts.

but other wise whats the point of not liking this video?

good goin! and keep goin! +}

[DrKorn5]

Well of course it sounds chaotic and repetative its a Fugue with several themes in counterpoint.

[curvycom]

A fugue--even this one--may sound less chaotic when performed live. There is nothing in this plain-jane electronic performance which brings any distinction to the voices and other thematic or temporal events. In other words all the voices are the same volume and all the individual tones are articulated in exactly the same way. A live performer would play it in such a way as weight the most important voices.

[curvycom]

and actually I have a live recording of this fugue which I may dub in at some point. If I do, you'll find you hear things in it which are hard to hear now.

[tnix80]

it's not bach but nothing is. it's very nice

[Hopjumpskip]

Ditto to the below...I can follow the music very easily, doesn't look out of sync to me.:)

[guitarrulesall]

Great job man.

[T0NT0NMAC0UTE]

Very awesome stretto.

[Xishem]

I love it. The section starting 1:45 is absolutely beautiful. Nice work.

[UserID20]

That was great! You should definately write more fugues. But just remember not to make the melody too complicated next time. Make it simple enough to have the listener memorize, so they can recognize it throughout the fugue, but not so simple as to only half notes. But you probably already knew that. XP I'll shut up now...

[curvycom]

You might want to read the notes up there. Also one intention of the main theme, which IS pretty simple and "humable" really, is "musical humor." I thought the Motiv had a sorta comical "dance macabre" sortova feel to it.

The develpment section departs from baroque harmony somewhat. The "canon on the quarternote" stretto was originally just three voices but I couldn't resist the fourth voice because it works and sounded so harmonious, although more modern -- very like the improvs I do.

[SICKxCHARISMAxTURTLE]

Can you tell me the interval voices? It sounds really cool! I really like it.

[curvycom]

I'm not sure what you mean by your question. The Voices stretto on 3rds 4ths 5ths, actually a few other intervals. And the strettos occur on the quarter note, half note and other timings, I think. I never really did a full analysis of this fugue, and to be honest I kind of wrote it without thinking about it in great detail. They kind of write themselves.

[zippysaysyow]

beautiful, but the music is 2/8 behind the animation, witch makes it hard to follow the more agitated parts! pity!

otherwise well done! thanks for posting!

[zippysaysyow]

beautiful, but the animation seems to be running a beat afore the music. rather annoying, if you want to follow the more complicated parts! or is it just my system???

[curvycom]

no it probably is not your system. Youtube had some trouble with the format in which this video was stored. The original syncs up quite nicely, but the flash version has some problems.

[jackeddemon]

Does anyone know the BWV for this fugue?

[curvycom]

Since I wrote it, it has no BMV. (duh : )

[LordTyroxx]

absolutely beautiful....for some reason your website is just a blank page for me. I would like to visit.

[curvycom]

hmmm... well it's up now. but it does have some complicated redirects in it...  so not sure. Are you behind the Great Firewall of China perhaps?

[JupiterIV]

"Great Firewall of China"

Would you mind enlightening me as to where (and what) it is?

[SynestheticSoul]

The "Great Firewall of China" is an internet border where no one in china can access websites outside of an allotted set.

[auflehnen]

and why are you saying that? maybe is not my buissnes, but I want to know xD

[SynestheticSoul]

Because it's true. There's a loophole known as elgoog, but other than that the Chinese in China are limited to what they can see.

[sebakid]

i envy you

[Funkypotat0]

Even though you might not have meant it, it sounds Baroque to me. I'm sure Bach is jealous right now.

[curvycom]

That's very nice of you :) I got a little enthusiastic with key modulation and the development section uses some non baroque harmony (although, strictly speaking, there is nothing in that section that Bach couldn't or wouldn't have done).

Bach has a sense of balance which fine composers often have, but which was, in his case, honed by a lot of hard work--the likes of which I have never done, and may never do.

[s0uless]

beatiful fugue

keep writing great music!

[honda1386]

cool to visualize, thanks

[ImperatorMortis]

nice