Fugues

[pjaul]

How do you judge the difficulty of a playing fugue?  Are longer fugues (as in more measures) more difficult?  Are fugues with more voices harder than fugues with fewer voices?  Does a more complicated motif make the fugue more difficult?


In particular I'm wondering about the fugal section of the Toccata from the e minor Partita by Bach.  This is multiple pages in my edition but only 3 voices.

[j_menz]

Generally, more voices = harder; faster = harder; more complex contrapuntal techniques = harder. How they balance out is largely personal. Initially, the interrelationship between the voices, hands and staves can create problems, as well.

Added to that there can be issues of voice doubling. There can be more complex structures (eg double and triple fugues etc). There can also be fugues in different styles which more or less follow normal fugue "rules". There can also be atonal and serial fugues.  These are more or less difficult depending on your familiarity with the style involved, but aren't really relevant here.

[pjaul]

Thanks j-menz.  Is voice doubling when one of the voices is presented in octaves?  As when the bass voice is in octaves to imitate an organ or something?

[j_menz]

Thanks j-menz.  Is voice doubling when one of the voices is presented in octaves?  As when the bass voice is in octaves to imitate an organ or something?

Yes, though it can also be in other intervals (pretty much anything except 5ths) just to add to the confusion and may move between them or be even trippled. Busoni wrote a treatise on it and has a LOT to answer for!!! (I do love his transcriptions, though)

[asiantraveller101]

Generally, more voices = harder; faster = harder; more complex contrapuntal techniques = harder. How they balance out is largely personal. Initially, the interrelationship between the voices, hands and staves can create problems, as well.

Added to that there can be issues of voice doubling. There can be more complex structures (eg double and triple fugues etc). There can also be fugues in different styles which more or less follow normal fugue "rules". There can also be atonal and serial fugues.  These are more or less difficult depending on your familiarity with the style involved, but aren't really relevant here.

Exactly! I just want to add one more level of difficulty: articulation. If a fugue contains more articulations, it becomes harder; especially if the subject is set up initially with varied articulations.