Composer

:

Johann Sebastian Bach

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Fugue

Compose Date

:

before 1742

Publication Date

:

1751

First Performance

:

Jun 26, 1927

Average_duration

:

82:17

Movement_count

:

22

Movement ....

Johann Sebastian Bach's "The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080" is a collection of 14 fugues and four canons, all based on a single theme. The work was composed in the last years of Bach's life, between 1742 and 1749, and was left unfinished at his death. The premiere of the work is unknown, as it was not published until after Bach's death. The work is divided into four sections, each containing several fugues and canons. The first section consists of four fugues, each of which is based on the main theme. The second section contains three fugues and a canon, and the third section contains four fugues and a canon. The fourth and final section contains three fugues and a final unfinished fugue. The Art of the Fugue is characterized by its complex counterpoint and intricate use of the main theme. Bach explores the theme in a variety of ways, using inversion, augmentation, and diminution to create new melodies and harmonies. The work is also notable for its use of stretto, a technique in which the subject of a fugue is overlapped with itself in a faster tempo. The Art of the Fugue is often considered one of Bach's greatest works, and has been studied and performed by musicians and scholars for centuries. Its intricate counterpoint and exploration of the possibilities of a single theme have made it a cornerstone of Western classical music.

More....