Here's another recent work of mine, a lighthearted contrast to the brooding fugue in E minor, this one is full of relentless energy and fun. Perhaps a little too relentless, I've been told. Pacing is one area I need to work on, in future works. :-D
In any case, this one is much more Bach-like than some of my other fugues, though it does have its decidedly non-Bach moments. Enjoy, and let me know what you think, good or bad.
Score: [fugue14.pdf]
Midi playback: [fugue14.mp3]
Bonus organ rendition (request by Dave D): [fugue14-organ.mp3]
Update 2023-11-13: I hired Ukrainian pianist Polina Chorna to perform this fugue, and was pleasantly surprised at how gentle it turned out:
Polina's interpretation: fugue14-polina.mp3
What do y'all think? It doesn't quite have the relentless energy of the computer playback, but it's much more delicate and musical, IMO.
Update 2023-11-14: David Lilly asked about how I would have performed this piece differently from Polina, so here's a score with some dynamics marked according to how I'd have played it. (It is to be understood as one of many possible interpretations, though, not as the Official One-and-Only True Interpretation!):
Score with possible dynamics: fugue14-dynamics.pdf
Also by request, here's the MIDI (the computer-generated version): fugue14.midi
Update 2023-11-19: David Lilly wanted to make a DAW mock-up that, in his words, "meets that vision" that I had when I wrote it. We went through a few rounds of revisions with my feedback, and arrived at the following mock-up:
DAW mock-up: fugue14-lilly.mp3
Curious how this compares with Polina's rendering and the original MIDI mockup. What do y'all think?
Replies
As has been the case so far, the piece is exceptionally well-written and very pleasant to listen to. I really enjoyed the writing. However, if I may be candid, I do have some reservations regarding the recording. I'm not sure I found it terribly dynamic or with much creative expression. Of course, this in no way affects my feelings about the piece itself; it's just about this particular performance.
While the idea of someone doing this infuriates me, I have to propose it—I've looked into some of the other work Polina Chorna has performed for other composers, and, to be straightforward, it doesn't sound much different than what a DAW mock-up would sound like. I am always a bit paranoid, so take my concerns with a grain of salt, but in many of her "performances," I hear a lot of DAW or MIDI artifacts. Does she record her takes into a DAW with a piano VST and then correct the timing or compile many takes together? Without a doubt, the piano used is a VST or digital piano, and perhaps that is clouding my judgment to some capacity.
I do warn, though, that without a video provided, be very wary of VST recordings. There is absolutely no way to tell what has been done to the MIDI data or the "performance" after the initial take. In my personal opinion, this departs from the definition of a performance, as one could play quite literally anything into a DAW, and with enough time and skillful editing, they could make it sound like Rachmaninoff 3 (this is an exaggerated example that would be impractical, but just to provide a foundation for the point I'm trying to make).
Did Polina outline any expectations for you regarding how the piece would be recorded? I am quite certain that with the MIDI data for your Fugue here, I could provide a result that is still 100% inauthentic but perhaps quite a bit more convincing.
Again, the piece is quite lovely, but the idea of someone being taken advantage of is not quite so lovely to me.
I'm also quite a bit more open to alternative interpretations of my music (good or bad!) than perhaps many composers are, so although it wasn't how I'd have played it, I was reasonably happy with Polina's interpretation of it. There are a few moments where I can clearly perceive her individual style coming through (which would be hard to fake by hand-editing MIDI events after the fact), and I do appreciate her more delicate, less energetic take on those passages. It brings out a different quality in the music than the relentless chugging-train energy of my crude MIDI approximation, and for that I'm thankful. :-D
How would you have played the piece, out of curiosity? I can try to put together something for you that meets that vision if you like. I'm enjoying these fugues!
It's hard to pinpoint exactly how I'd have played the piece, because my (sadly meager) piano skills derive primarily from a childhood of improvising accompaniments to sung melodies, such that every performance is different and unique. But at least as far as how I conceived the piece, I see it as something very lighthearted, bouncy, and energetic, not quite the delicate, somewhat reserved take Polina has here (though I appreciate that too -- it makes it sound more Bachian :-P). In particular I would have exaggerated the dynamics quite a bit more than she did (the score I posted here doesn't have dynamics marked but the score I gave her did), especially in the final climactic passage in mm.56-60. I would have played crescendo up to the high F# in m.60, which I would have played fortissimo, but would suddenly drop, completely non-chalantly, to a mf in the last beat (maybe even mp), as a kind of deliberate anticlimax. Polina didn't quite catch my intent here, holding back her volume until shortly before that high F#, and then gently easing herself back to the marked mf in the score, resulting in a much more delicate climactic touch than the loud, emotionally charged peak and anticlimax I would've played. In general she took a more gradual approach to my dynamics, whereas I'd have used more sudden dynamic shifts.
As for why I posted the score here without dynamics: I didn't want to pin the music down to one specific interpretation, hoping that the music itself would inspire the would-be performer how to best bring it out. (And yes, I'm quite aware there can be multiple interpretations of this -- and in fact relish that.) But since you asked, I'll add the score with dynamics marked to this topic, just for reference. It is to be understood as one of multiple possible takes on the music, not as the Official One-and-Only True Interpretation. :-)
Only if you have the time (and interest) to do this, BTW. No obligations from my side.
Just to be clear, though, I'm self-taught so there may be holes in my musical knowledge. ;-) And also, I tend not to stick too closely to the "rules" of fugue as they are commonly presented these days, so I may not be the best person to ask if you're looking for the nitty-gritty of textbook fugues. My approach is perhaps best summarized by a certain Justin Rubin, whom I just happened to come across just this past week while browsing around for fugue-related subjects online: https://www.d.umn.edu/~jrubin1/JHR%20Fugue%201.htm
My favorite quote from that page: "It is a great mistake of academic myopia to only model fugal pieces on the works of Bach under the misconception that he was somehow the culmination of the style. Careful study and listening with an open mind to other equally gifted practitioners of the Baroque will yield the student and music lover alike not only a wealth of wonderful, albeit lesser-known music, but also inspiration regarding methods that he did not employ."
In my case, I'd expand the scope further, beyond the Baroque, to modern times. Ask Mike Hewer, a forum member here, for examples of his 12-tone fugues sometime, if you're curious. Also check out Gregorio X's fugues too (some are posted here, some on SoundCloud). My own direction is more in the tonal direction, but definitely also pushing the envelope of what most people consider to be the confines of the fugue in the Baroque and Classical eras.
In any case, if this expanded understanding of fugue fits what you're looking for, then I'd be more than happy to discuss such subjects with you.
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