# What is a fugue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575 "2002-12-05T00:41:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kgriffey79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/1 "2002-12-05T00:41:47Z")
You know, the kind of song, a fugue as in toccata and fugue? Was just wonderin cuz i really like em šŸ™‚ Anyway, I looked up a definition and only got confused. So, anyway, can anybody plz shed some light on this and explain it in terms that I would understand. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/2 "2002-12-05T00:45:50Z")
[Like, fer sure!](http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/fugueanatomy.html) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/3 "2002-12-05T00:48:14Z")
Isnā€™t it a song with a tune that cycles back to the beginning. Row Row Row Your Boat (sung in the proper way) is a fugue isnā€™t it? please correct me if I am wrong FD as I am mainly guessing. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/4 "2002-12-05T00:49:19Z")
(I hope this catches on) FD - Fellow Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/5 "2002-12-05T00:56:22Z")
No, thatā€™s called a round. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/6 "2002-12-05T01:49:26Z")
I donā€™t know. Iā€™ve read that a round and a fugue are basically the same thing, only a round is sung and a fugue is played. A round is always a fugue, but a fugue isnā€™t always a round. ? ---
**Author:** ![QuaHKN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f14d63/32.png) [@QuaHKN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuaHKN)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/7 "2002-12-05T02:07:46Z")
A fugue is essentially a piece in which there are multiple voices that ā€œconverseā€. In the classical period, the music was mostly homophonic- there was one voice (the melody) with accompaniment. Typical of the Baroque period, a fugue contains two or more voices that share the theme in an imitative ā€œcall and responseā€ way. When two or more melodic lines are combined, it is called counterpoint and the piece can be described as contrapuntal. JS Bach was a master of this- if you enjoy fugues I highly recommend listening to his Concerto for Two Violins in D minor or some of his organ music. On the otherhand, a round is a piece in which each voice has the same melody, but enters at a different time. Both fugues and rounds can either be sung or played on intruments. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/8 "2002-12-05T02:12:12Z")
A fugue sounds to me to be ā€œvariations on a themeā€ - the same melody repeated in different keys, ranges, by different instruments (or voices?). So a simple round, if the parts were played/sung in different registers (female vs. male, for instance) could be called a fugue. Will now await a musician to come along and correct me. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/9 "2002-12-05T02:17:45Z")
From m-wā€™ > [@](#): > > 2 : a disturbed state of consciousness in which the one affected seems to perform acts in full awareness but upon recovery cannot recollect the deeds I like that definition best. šŸ˜ƒ Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/10 "2002-12-05T03:15:55Z")
Listen to the \* Brandenburg Concertos \*\* by Bach and then listen to \*Row, Row Your Boat \*. Hear the difference? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/11 "2002-12-05T03:17:06Z")
Damn. the ā€œbā€™sā€ and ā€œiā€™sā€ have become indistinguishable this time of night. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![QuaHKN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f14d63/32.png) [@QuaHKN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuaHKN)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/12 "2002-12-05T04:04:47Z")
Ack. How could I forget the Brandenburgs? The first movement of #6 is especially fugue-ishā€¦ and enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/13 "2002-12-05T04:29:50Z")
Ah, now the snob appeal comes alongā€¦ I seem to recall Hesse having something to say about those who would differentiate between the ā€œgreatā€ music and the forget-next-week pop variety. All music is sacred. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/14 "2002-12-05T05:20:29Z")
**Counterpoint** - two or more melodies played at the same time. **Canon** - the same melody played against itself, usually offset by a few beats or bars. A round is a simple canon, because the melody is unchangedā€¦ more complex canons have the melody came in at a higher pitch or play upside down, backwards, twice as fast, half speed, or combinations thereof! **Fugue** - sigh, itā€™s complicated (as **Jpegā€™s** link will show you) but as a generalization itā€™s like a canon, but the first half of the theme is called the **subject** , the second half is called the **countersubject**. When the countersubject starts, the next voice comes in with the subject (just like a canon), but this is called the **answer**. There are special key relationships between the subject and answer. A third/fourth voice (or more) will continue to come in with further subject/answers. This first part where all the voices state the subject/answer and countersubject(s) is called the **exposition**. After that it usually alternates between **episodes** (free development of subject/countersubject fragments, or totally new material) and **entries** , where the subject/countersubject/answer are entwined together. These middle entries are never the same key and voicing as the exposition. ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-fugue/140575/15 "2002-12-05T06:02:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by K364 \* > \*\ ***Counterpoint** - two or more melodies played at the same time. > > **Canon** - the same melody played against itself, usually offset by a few beats or bars. A round is a simple canon, because the melody is unchangedā€¦ more complex canons have the melody came in at a higher pitch or play upside down, backwards, twice as fast, half speed, or combinations thereof! > > **Fugue** - sigh, itā€™s complicated (as **Jpegā€™s** link will show you) but as a generalization itā€™s like a canon, but the first half of the theme is called the **subject** , the second half is called the **countersubject**. When the countersubject starts, the next voice comes in with the subject (just like a canon), but this is called the **answer**. There are special key relationships between the subject and answer. > > A third/fourth voice (or more) will continue to come in with further subject/answers. This first part where all the voices state the subject/answer and countersubject(s) is called the **exposition**. After that it usually alternates between **episodes** (free development of subject/countersubject fragments, or totally new material) and **entries** , where the subject/countersubject/answer are entwined together. These middle entries are never the same key and voicing as the exposition. \*\* For a particularly famous Canon, thereā€™s a midi file of Pachelbelā€™s [Canon and Gigue in D Major](http://www.kunstderfuge.com/pachelbel.htm) down the bottom of this page. Thereā€™s also a bunch of Palchelbel fugues on that page. Read K364ā€™s description then play the Canon and then one of the fugues and see if it makes sense after that