Higher listening: fugue A complicated piece of contrapuntal / polyphonic music A contrapuntal piece essentially based upon the idea of imitation

Exposition Begins with the SUBJECT, played or sung by one voice. e.g. Trinidad and the big Mississippi etc. Voice 1 SUBJECT

Exposition Once the subject has been heard all the way through, a second voice enters with the answer. This is very similar to the subject. If the intervals between all the notes are the same as the subject, it is a real answer. If they are slightly different, it is a tonal answer. Meanwhile, the first voice continues with a counter-subject e.g. Canada Malaga Rimini Brindisi Voice 1 Subject Counter-subject Voice 2 Answer

Exposition Voice 1 Subject Answer Voice 2 Subject Voice 3 The next voice to enter (Voice 3) comes in with the subject again. The second voice now moves on to the counter-subject, and the first voice moves on to a 2nd counter-subject e.g. Yes! Tibet, Tibet, Tibet! Voice 1 Subject Counter-subject 2nd counter-subject Answer Counter-subject Voice 2 Subject Voice 3

Exposition This process continues until all voices have sung or played through the subject, counter-subject and 2nd counter-subject.

Episode New material is introduced The music will probably modulate There will be quite a lot of imitation

Throughout the rest of the Fugue, the subject continues to enter in new keys. Some composers played around with the subject using techniques such as augmentation, diminution and stretto AUGMENTATION: The subject is heard in longer note values, giving the effect of slowing down. DIMINUTION: The subject is heard in shorter note values, giving the effect of speeding up. STRETTO: A voice enters with the subject or answer before the previous voice has finished playing it.