Page 111 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

BAROQUE 1600–1750 109

See also: Missa l’homme armé 42 ■ Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott 78–79 ■ St. Matthew Passion 98–105 ■ Elijah 170–173 ■
Fauré’s Requiem 210–211 ■ The Dream of Gerontius 218–219

The second fugue of Bach’s The
Well-tempered Clavier is in C minor.
Both sets of 24 preludes and fugues are
arranged in the 12 major and minor
keys between C and the B above it.

harmony, reduced the need
for musicians to master such
complex techniques. However,
Bach, the preeminent practitioner
of counterpoint in the Baroque
period, considered the skill to be
so vital that he attempted toward
the end of his life to organize and
display the results of his knowledge
in works such as The Art of Fugue,
a cycle of some 20 fugues. then transferred to the other parts experience a satisfying musical
(or “voices” as they are known, performance. While these works
Principles of counterpoint even in instrumental music) while abide by the strict Baroque rules
Much earlier, Bach had published the first part continues with a that govern dissonance when
didactic works to teach keyboard complementary melody. it is permitted (for instance, on
players counterpoint. These For the performer, the difficulty passing notes on weak beats),
included two collections of special of such works is not just to be able their structure is relatively free.
significance—the 15 Inventions to play the often swiftly flowing
in two parts and the 15 Sinfonias in parts with ease but also to be able Building a fugue
three parts. In each of the pieces, to balance the relative importance Bach was best known for his
a simple opening melody is of the voices, so that the listener fugues, which follow the same
presented unaccompanied and can appreciate the interplay and principles but organize them ❯❯

Preludes, fugues, and well-tempered tuning

Bach’s two books entitled The Frequency ratios between other
Well-Tempered Clavier each notes are more complex, so
contained 24 preludes and tuning to a C major scale,
fugues in all the major and keeping all the intervals pure,
minor keys. These provided would make other scales sound
models that keyboard players out of tune to slightly different
could use to develop their degrees. The mean-tone system,
proficiency and also celebrated used from c.1570 and based on a
the range of keys that could be pure third interval, worked well
employed using the tuning only for 10–15 of 24 keys. The
methods of his time. well-tempered system was a
Tuning, or “temperament,” compromise, tuning to intervals
was always a tricky issue. sufficiently equidistant to allow When tuning a piano, such as this
A note one octave apart from for performances in all keys. The Schimmel concert instrument from
another sounds similar because modern equal temperament Germany, the tuner uses a tuning
the sound frequency can be system divides the octave into fork or an electronic device to adjust
reduced to a simple 2:1 ratio. equal, mostly impure intervals. the strings to the required pitch.

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