Bach's Use of Dance Rhythms in Fugues Part III

Author(s): Natalie Jenne

Source: Bach, Vol. 5, No. 2 (APRIL, 1974), pp. 3-21
Published by: Riemenschneider Bach Institute
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41639917
Accessed: 09-12-2017 18:03 UTC

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 Bach's Use of Dance Rhythms in Fugues
Part III
By Natalie Jenne
Concordia College
River Forest, Illinois

Kirnberger gives several examples of his system of analysis. Two are

taken from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier (the b-minor fugue, Vol. I,
and the a-minor prelude, Vol. II) and are found at the end of Die Wahren
Grundsätze zum Gebrauch der Harmonie (1773). In Die Kunst . . . ,
Kirnberger begins the treatise with a three-voice fugue. Below the music
are placed three bass-lines. The lowest contains the true fundamental bass
reduced to triads and sevenths; the one above shows the non-essential dis-
sonances; and on the staff directly below the music is the figured bass
(Ex. 9). The reader may note that in measure 13, the roots of both the
first and third chords do not actually occur in the music. This results from
Kirnberger s consistent interpretation of the diminished sevenths as non-
essential ninths over essential seventh chords (see Point 1).

In order to show how dance rhythms function in Bach fugues, I have

used Kirnberger's analytical method in a somewhat modified form. Two
dances have been chosen, the bourrée and the gavotte, although Bach used
other dance rhythms in his fugues, as well.

The pattern of the danced bourrée (see Ex. 3, BACH, Vol. IV, No. 4,
pp. 24-25) is consistently used in stylized dances from Lully to Bach.
Through careful analysis of many bourrées, I have been able to determine
that there are not only melodic and rhythmic theses on beats three (and
on parts of beats four, seven, and eight), but also, and of special import-
ance, a thesis occurs in the fundamental bass - a thesis in the rhythm of
the harmony,35 as it were.

This same pattern occurs in dance-fugues, such as the f-minor fugue

from the Well-Tempered Clavier (II) and the c#-major fugue from the
Well-Tempered Clavier (I). Examples 10 and 11 are analyses of these
fugues according to Kirnberger's principles, but with a slightly different
format. Since the examples are harmonic reductions, ornamental tones
have, for the most part, been omitted. Figures below the reduction show
the construction of each chord. (The sharp symbol is used for any raised
note; the flat symbol for any lowered note.) Figures in parentheses have
been added by the author. The bass-line below the harmonic reduction is
the fundamental bass, by means of which the rhythm inherent in the har-
mony is made clear. Roman numerals on the line below (in Example 10

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only) have been added for the convenience of the reader, so that keys and
modulations can readily be ascertained. The brackets over the harmonic
reduction enclose the pattern of the dance rhythm, either in its full eight-
beat form, or in abbreviated groups of four beats. Notice that the funda-
mental bass determines the level of the beat in both pieces. Although the
f-minor fugue is in 2/4 time and the c#-major fugue is in 4/4 time, the
beat in both pieces, which is the level where the main rhythmic activity
takes place, is the quarter-note.

The fugue subjects, in particular, adhere to the bourrée pattern, al-

though it occurs in episodes as well. Cadences can be determined without
difficulty, since the fundamental bass reduces all movement to triads,
sevenths, and non-essential ninths. Cadences are marked by an "X"; par-
ticularly important cadences, by a circled "X."

Further indication that these are bourrée fugues lies in Bach's choice
of melodic figuration. The third and fourth or seventh and eighth beats
in bourrées by Bach and other composers are usually embellished by cer-
tain melodic formulae (Ex. 12). An examination of the full scores of
these fugues shows similar or identical figures on these crucial beats.

The rhythmic pattern of the danced gavotte is, likewise, clear in styl-
ized pieces based upon that dance (see Ex. 4, BACH, Vol. IV, No. 4,
p. 25). Bach's fugue in f#-major from the Well-Tempered Clavier (II)
is a remarkable example of a fugue based on this rhythm (Ex. 13). The
fundamental bass of the subject immediately establishes the beat as the
half-note. The consistent use of suspensions (both single and double) in
expositions and episodes creates feminine cadences characteristic of the
gavotte within the dance pattern, as well as at its termination. Thetic
points in the rhythm which are indicated in the fundamental bass by
unfigured notes or suspensions fall regularly on beats four and eight and
frequently on beats two and six. Melodic formulae common to the gavotte
are so clear in this fugue that separate examples would seem to be un-
necessary.

Kirnberger's system of analysis (possibly Bach's own) leaves no

doubt that these three fugues are dances.36 The assumption that dances
owe their character to rhythmic devices and fugues owe their character to
contrapuntal devices, like all generalizations, has its exceptions. For
instance, the last dance of Bach's Partita in E Minor is also a fugue; and
the three fugues that have been analyzed here are also dances.
IV

For those of us who perform, the fruits of research should be evi-

dent in our playing and made available to our students. To that end, a

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tew suggestions on the performance of the three fugues previously men-
tioned may be helpful.

The C-Sharp Major Fugue

A dance-like interpretation would result from an emphasis on the
characteristic features of the bourrée dance pattern; these are: the up-beat
to the pattern of 8 beats and the points of arrival on beats 3 and 4 and
7 and 8. The distinctness of the up-beat can be projected through articu-
lation; that is, by cutting short the duration of the sound of the written
note - but not so short as to make it insignificant. The second half of
beat 4 also acts as an up-beat to the latter half of the 8-beat pattern,
and can be articulated in the same manner.

The harmonic movement both confirms and accentuates the rhyth-

mic features of the bourrée, and it is important for the performer to
emphasize this movement within the pattern. The points of arrival within
the dance pattern are made precise by careful grouping of the notes. A
melodic-harmonic reduction can clarify the phrasing. Example 14 shows
both the melodic reduction of the subject and the fundamental bass be-
low it. Example 15 shows how careful phrasing defines this rhythm.

The up-beat characteristic of the bourrée occurs in the subject and

in the episodes (measures 7-9, 16-18 and 48-51) where harmonic
movement is also a part of the dance pattern (Ex. 16).

Cadences serve to delineate the structure of a composition and must

be carefully articulated in performance. There are a number of ways to
accomplish this. One is by interjecting a ritardando before the cadence.
The degree of ritardando, however, must be determined by the structural
importance of the cadence and the harmonic movement leading up to it.
For example, the cadence at measure 22 is not only a perfect cadence;
it occurs about midway through the piece and is the culmination of an
extension interpolated between beats 6 and 7 of the dance pattern. Bach
accentuates the importance of this cadence through the harmonic move-
ment of the extension, which changes on each eighth-note. The eighth-
notes are almost all roots of seventh chords. This cadence, then, needs
not only the standard cadential trill and D double-sharp (beat 2), but
also a prominent ritardando preceding it.

Where a part of the subject is used, as in measures 23, 24, 35 - 37,

and 39-41, the segment can be ornamented in some way in order to
avoid monotony. One possibility is the use of a tremblement lié 37 (Ex.
17), which, when employed with discretion, gives added sparkle to the
dance pattern and highlights the rhythmic harmony.

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The F-Minor Fugue
The ¥ -Minor Fugue is also based on the rhythm of the bourrée. In this
case, an additional eighteenth-century performance practice can be ap-
plied to emphasize the harmonic movement within the pattern - namely
notes inégales. The use of notes inégales is not simply a mechanical ap-
plication of long-short (L-S), the most common form, or short-long
(S-L) to a series of notes - in this case, sixteenths. It is a judicial inter-
mingling of the two for the purpose of emphasizing certain notes and
giving a kind of "swing" to the piece. The harmonic content of the phrase
can be brought out by making the harmonic tones long, at the expense
of the non-harmonic tones. This lengthening should be subtle, particularly
if the tempo is to approximate that of a bourrée (about quarter-note =
80). A few instances of the S-L form of notes inégales can be noted.
For example, in measure 4 the harmony changes on the last eighth-note,
but the d does not belong to a new harmony (see Ex. 10), so it must
be shortened in favor of the d! natural (Ex. 18). This shortening empha-
sizes the harmony and clarifies the up-beat to the next pattern. A simi-
lar lengthening of the last note of measure 8 shows that the d natural
belongs with the c'" of the soprano. The application of the same principle
to the last sixteenths of measures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (which are all
sevenths of the fundamental bass) determines the harmony, and, there-
fore, the proper articulation of the soprano (Ex. 19). By the same prin-
ciple, measures 17-22 will be articulated differently (Ex. 20). The funda-
mental bass reveals a particularly interesting articulation for the left-hand
eighth-notes from measure 79 to the end of the fugue (Ex. 21).

The F-sharp Major Fugue

The metric structure of the gavotte (Ex. 13) can best be brought out
by accentuating the thetic quality of beats 2, 4, 6, and 8 and the arsic
quality of beats 1, 3, 5, and 7. The rhythmic harmony as shown in the
fundamental bass clarifies this metric structure and suggests that the
subject be articulated as in Example 22. The opening trill should be
measured and grouped so that the two-quarter-note pulses at the incep-
tion of the gavotte pattern are clear. The pulses of beats 3, 5, and 7 should
also be articulated, in order to attain the same effect. The ornament on
beat 8 is, again, a tremblement lié in which the В is the preparation for
the trill. This type of trill particularly enhances suspensions and can, for
that reason, be used to great advantage in the second and fourth episodes
of the fugue. If it were added to every suspension, it would, of course,
become tiresome. It serves its purpose best as an embellishment to ca-
dence suspensions. These occur on the most thetic beats, 4 and 8. The ap-
plication of notes inégales to the eighth-notes of these episodes will, as in

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the F'Minor Fugue, help to mark the harmonic tones for the listener.

Kirnberger s lament over the state of fugue playing in his time is

still echoed today. Nevertheless, the exciting rhythms of eighteenth-cen-
tury fugues, often buried in the obscurities of notation, can be uncovered
with the help of his analytical method. Musicians will find that Kirnber-
ger's system elucidates the structure of these pieces, both harmonic and
rhythmic, and helps to solve difficult problems of performance.
Footnotes

35 The pas de bourrée and pas glissé steps of repose in bourrée choreographie
on the same beats.
36 The f-minor prelude in the Well-Tempered Clavier (II) is also based on the
gavotte rhythm. In this case, the beat is the quarter-note.
37 Clarification concerning the performance of this ornament is found in Putnam
Aldrich's article, "On the Interpretation of Bach's Trills," Musical Quarterly (July,
1963), pp. 289-310.

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 Examples

Ex. 9. Three- voice Fugue, J. P. Kirnberger, meas. 1-13 ( Die Kunst des
reinen Satzes in der Musik ... , Berlin and Königsberg, 1774, p. I)

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Ex. 10. Bach, F-Minor Fugue , Well-Tempered Clavier (II) (Analyzed
According to Kirnberger s Principles)

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10

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 11

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12

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Ex. 11. Bach, C-Sharp Major Fugue , Well-Tempered Clavier (I) (Ana-
lyzed According to Kirnberger's Principles)

13

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14

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Ex. 12. Melodic Formulae Employed in Embellishing Bourrées

15

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Ex. 13. Bach, Fugue in F -S harp Major, Well-Tempered Clavier (II)
(With Fundamental Bass Analysis)

16

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 17

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18

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 19

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Ex. 14. Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier (I), C- sharp Major Prelude, Re-
duction of Subject, meas. 1-3 (With Fundamental Bass Added)

Ex. 15. Bach, C- sharp Major Prelude, Subject, meas. 1-3

(With Phrasing Added)

Ex. 16. Bach, C-sharp Major Prelude, meas. 7-9

(With Fundamental Bass Added)

Ex. 17. Bach, C-sharp Major Prelude, Portion of Subject, meas. 23,
and Suggested Manner of Performance

Ex. 18. Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier (II), F -Minor Fugue, meas. 4

20

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Ex. 19. Bach, F -Minor Fugue , meas. 7-11
(With Fundamental Bass Added)

Ex. 20. Bach, F-Minor Fugue, meas. 17-18

(With Fundamental Bass and Articulation Suggestions Added)

Ex. 21. Bach, F-Minor Fugue , meas. 79-85

Bass and Added Fundamental Bass

Ex. 22. Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier (II), Fugue in F -sharp Major ,

Subject, meas. 1-5 (With Trills Written Out
and Fundamental Bass Added)

21

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