Prelude and Fugue

This music production has been composed in accordance with the format preferred by Johann Sebastian Bach. Using this format, a rare class of woodwind music has come to light through the work of composers such as Shostakovich and Mendelssohn. As you can see from the title this production is not program music or depiction music. If anything, this will be difficult grasp for all the modern day Japanese woodwind performers who in recent years have grown accustomed to performing depiction music. Especially given that the fugue is written in a rigid form. The most important elements are the ‘advocacy’ in the beginning and the 5 degree transposition ‘tonal answer’ and associated to that is the ‘tonal versus’.

The configuration is as follows – first presentation section, first happy play, parallel presentation section, second happy play, lower tune presentation section, third happy play, urgency section, and closing section. The second half of third happy play the stretta is performed with leading preservation and in the second half of the urgency section ‘advocacy’ becomes the chorale.

The expression of the performance deepens if one can analyze which section relates to another, as well as which part takes on what sort of voice change. In regards to the tempo, you can use any tempo that you prefer. However, keep in mind that the tempo you choose will varies all sounds.

The rhythm is written in 2/2 on purpose and there is a reason for it. But I will not reveal the reason here.

(Masamichi Amano)