Chopin, Frederic : Fugue a-moll KK.IVc/2
Work Overview
Publication Year:1898
First Publisher:Leipzig
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:fuga
Total Playing Time:2 min 50 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Saitoh, Noriko
Last Updated: September 1, 2007
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Author : Saitoh, Noriko
This work is believed to have been composed around 1827 or 1841. It was published posthumously in 1898, after Chopin's death.
It is well known that ChopinBach greatly admired, and contrapuntal techniques can be observed in numerous works. However, this fugue, written in A minor in 2/2 time and for two voices, has a relatively simpler structure compared to the contrapuntal sections in Chopin's other works. This leads to the belief that it was either composed for the instruction of his pupils or as an early study. The subject begins with a melody ascending a perfect fourth from the dominant to the tonic, which requires a “tonal answer” in its composition. Furthermore, the presence of at least one chromatic movement in each measure of the subject is felt to be interesting when recalling Bach's fugues.