What are direct fifths?

[Derek]

I was informally studying the voice leading of Prelude 2 in c minor from the WTC based on my own observations, but in trying to correlate that with traditional analysis I noticed what appears to be several direct fifths in the piece. Is this considered an exceptional case or have I mis-identified these as direct fifths and they're actually something else?

[birba]

Book 1 or 2.  I couldn't find "direct" fifths in either one.  Does that mean parallel fifths?

[Derek]

Perhaps this question is not as simple as I thought. The figuration of prelude 2 in c minor (book 1, wtc) is so repetitive as to suggest that the voice leading is really outlined by the shape of the chords, the figuration itself should not be interpreted as the voice leading. If that is the case, then given what I learned recently these are not direct fifths because they do not happen between the outer voices. As far as I can tell all the outer voices are 10ths, 6ths or 3rds. I find it difficult to think about music with traditional analysis; too many words buzzing in my head. I'll have to keep refining my own way of thinking about it.

[keypeg]

Are the fifths all perfect fifths?

[ramseytheii]

I think I know what you are talking about, and would advise you to think of it in terms of separate voices, outer lines and inner lines, as you realized later on.  When we read about things like parallel fifths, recall that they are always shown and notated in chorale like figurations, which this prelude is definitely not.

Walter Ramsey