Fugue in G minor, BWV 578

In today's article we are going to talk about Fugue in G minor, BWV 578. This is a topic that has been of interest to many people throughout history and that continues to generate debate today. From its origins to its implications in today's society, Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 has been the object of study and reflection by experts in different fields. Throughout this article, we will explore the different aspects related to Fugue in G minor, BWV 578, from its impacts on everyday life to its influence on popular culture. Without a doubt, Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 is a fascinating topic that deserves our attention and reflection.

Fugue in G minor, BWV 578, (popularly known as the Little Fugue), is a piece of organ music written by Johann Sebastian Bach during his years at Arnstadt (1703–1707). It is one of Bach's best known fugues and has been arranged for other voices, including an orchestral version by Leopold Stokowski.

Early editors of Bach's work attached the title of "Little Fugue" to distinguish it from the later Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, which is longer in duration and more challenging to play.

Score

The fugue's theme (or subject), presented in musical notation of its first 4 1/2 bars
Theme

The fugue's four-and-a-half measure subject in G minor is one of Bach's most recognizable tunes. The fugue is in four voices. During the episodes, Bach uses one of Arcangelo Corelli's most famous techniques: imitation between two voices on an eighth note upbeat figure that first leaps up a fourth and then falls back down one step at a time.

In other music

Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton uses the beginning of the piece in the song "The Red Baron" from their album The Great War. The piece is transposed to C minor, and the first voice is lowered an octave relative to the second voice. The Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps also included sections of the piece in the opener of their 2017 program "It Is".

References

  1. ^ Kimberly Marshall, "Bach on the organ", Early Music (2008) 36 (4): 661–664. doi:10.1093/em/can100
  2. ^ Schnorr, K. (2001). "Litanei und Ostinato in Bachs Passacaglia c-moll BWV 582." Anuario Musical, 0(56): 163–172, p. 167

External links