Today I wrote two contrapuntal diversions. In order to compose these contrapuntal diversions I utilised three areas of research. My first area of research came from my UCA Student Handbook (1), My second and third bits of research can be found on my listening log. I listened to Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue in G Minor” from his “Well Tempered Clavier”, BMV 851 (2) and I researched from Bach’s “Fugue in C Major” BMV 953 (3).
In my first Invention we hear the original theme or “subject” being played. The subject is a phrase of four bars duration. The next two bars (5 & 6) we hear the subject diminished in length as I have used the same notes but reduced the note values by half. This completes the phrase in two bars. In bars 7-10 we hear an exact imitation of the original subject, only this time, pitched an octave lower. These leads in to the next section. In bars 11-14 we hear the same notes only played at even values. In bars 15-18 I inverted the phrase mathematically to bring this piece to it’s end.
I used my first attempt at project 12 to get a feel for re-arranging rhythm augmenting and diminishing certain notes in the phrase, in order to experiment with different sounds within the phrase. I utilised some of the mechanisms of contrapuntal diversions including Diminution and inverting.
In project 12b, I have tried to introduce the mechanisms of Inversion, diminution, augmentation and transposition. It has a lot more to it than my first project 12. The initial phrase is 8 bars long in 3/8. Bars 9-13 are a diminished answer to the initial subject and within this diminution I disregarded bar 3 of the subject completely and transposed the subject in to F. I ended on the dominant C so I could recapitulate back in to the tonic for the next diversion. Bars 14-22 are now inverted imitations of the original subject. However, Instead of mathematical inversion as demonstrated on project 12a. I employed the principle of free inversion. This means that I have altered some of the rhythms slightly for variety and overall sound quality. For instance bar 16, is slightly different from bar 3. Where bars 4-6 descend in gradual steps bars 17 and 18 ascend in sequence using dynamics to exaggerate the contrast. I disregard bar 4 in my inversion and instead of starting the run down from G, I start it from F. Bar 19 is an inversion of bar 7 before I then re-use bar 7 in bar 20 as an imitation. I then augment this subject further with an extra bar of quavers highlighting the triad of C major before ending on a pause on the tonic.
- University of the Creative Arts Student Handbook page 78 Project 28 example 48
- “Prelude and Fugue in G Minor” from “The Well Tempered Clavier” BMV 851 by J.S. Bach and the Petrucci Music Library
- “Fugue in C Major” BMV 953 by J.S. Bach and the Petrucci Music Library
David Healy-Richards Music 