The Art of the Fugue
May 4, 2011 3:27 AM Subscribe
So you want to write a fugue? Some examples of modern songs in fugue format: ♫ The Lady Gaga Fugue ♫ The Final Countdown Fugue ♫ The Legend of Zelda Underworld Fugue ♫ The Nokia Ringtone Fugue ♫ The Dragnet Fugue ♫ The Oops, I did it again Fugue ♫
(previously and previously)
(previously and previously)
The Nokia ringtone is actually a phrase from a composition for solo guitar, Gran Vals, by the Spanish classical guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega, written in 1902.
posted by three blind mice at 3:43 AM on May 4, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by three blind mice at 3:43 AM on May 4, 2011 [3 favorites]
Most of those are pretty bad. It takes a master to make an nigh-unfugueable theme into a fugue. As an example, listen to JS Bach's F minor fugue from WTC1.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 3:46 AM on May 4, 2011
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 3:46 AM on May 4, 2011
> The Nokia Ringtone Fugue
See also Marc-André Hamelin's Valse Irritation d'après Nokia.
posted by dansdata at 4:10 AM on May 4, 2011
See also Marc-André Hamelin's Valse Irritation d'après Nokia.
posted by dansdata at 4:10 AM on May 4, 2011
Most of those are pretty bad.
When Glen Gould wrote "So you want to write a fugue" it was given away as a free record (remember records?) made of cardboard as an insert in some magazine whose name I no longer remember and I would play it over and over feeling very sophisticated until my father (an abstract expressionist painter who knew nothing about music but who was very concerned with what was art and what was not) told me it was junk and made me feel miserable.
posted by Obscure Reference at 4:37 AM on May 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
When Glen Gould wrote "So you want to write a fugue" it was given away as a free record (remember records?) made of cardboard as an insert in some magazine whose name I no longer remember and I would play it over and over feeling very sophisticated until my father (an abstract expressionist painter who knew nothing about music but who was very concerned with what was art and what was not) told me it was junk and made me feel miserable.
posted by Obscure Reference at 4:37 AM on May 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
Got any Fugees Fugues?
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 4:37 AM on May 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 4:37 AM on May 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
It takes a master to make an nigh-unfugueable theme into a fugue.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike
Bach's secret was to write the fugue first, and then the theme.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:54 AM on May 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike
Bach's secret was to write the fugue first, and then the theme.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:54 AM on May 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
i like the legend of zelda one.
it might not be fugue, but it's pretty.
posted by garlic at 5:53 AM on May 4, 2011
it might not be fugue, but it's pretty.
posted by garlic at 5:53 AM on May 4, 2011
Bach's secret was to write the fugue first, and then the theme.
Unless he had to compose a fugue upon a theme presented by a king.
posted by Gyan at 6:31 AM on May 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
Unless he had to compose a fugue upon a theme presented by a king.
posted by Gyan at 6:31 AM on May 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
If anyone has ever seen similar tutorials, examples, or general hand-holding about how to write sonata-allegro form I'd be very grateful for some linkies. TIA!
> Unless he had to compose a fugue upon a theme presented by a king.
The outcome was some of the strangest sounding fugues ever. (Of course it was a pretty dam strange sounding subject to begin with.)
posted by jfuller at 6:58 AM on May 4, 2011
> Unless he had to compose a fugue upon a theme presented by a king.
The outcome was some of the strangest sounding fugues ever. (Of course it was a pretty dam strange sounding subject to begin with.)
posted by jfuller at 6:58 AM on May 4, 2011
When I saw the Lady Gaga fugue yesterday, I started thinking about how I might make a similar thread in order to introduce it - but then work intervened. Instead, I'll just pop in here to mention my favorite piece using fugal/canonical structure!
Hindemith's Symphony in B Flat is not 1, not 2, but 3 movements of fugal amusement. Here's the Tokyo Kosei Wind Ensemble playing the piece. The 3rd movement is my favorite.
Thanks for the post!
posted by jph at 7:05 AM on May 4, 2011 [3 favorites]
Hindemith's Symphony in B Flat is not 1, not 2, but 3 movements of fugal amusement. Here's the Tokyo Kosei Wind Ensemble playing the piece. The 3rd movement is my favorite.
Thanks for the post!
posted by jph at 7:05 AM on May 4, 2011 [3 favorites]
I loved that, especially the Dragnet one, with the scrolling bar graph. Are there other places to see music visually delineated like that?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:25 AM on May 4, 2011
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:25 AM on May 4, 2011
Yes, but can he do it improv?
Richard Grayson:
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as a Bach Fugue
Schubert's Unfinished Symphony as a Bach Fugue
The Muppet's Theme as a Bach Fugue
James Bond Theme and Pink Panther Theme in a Double Fugue
posted by Comrade_robot at 8:26 AM on May 4, 2011 [6 favorites]
Richard Grayson:
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as a Bach Fugue
Schubert's Unfinished Symphony as a Bach Fugue
The Muppet's Theme as a Bach Fugue
James Bond Theme and Pink Panther Theme in a Double Fugue
posted by Comrade_robot at 8:26 AM on May 4, 2011 [6 favorites]
That Twinkle, Twinkle video was wonderful. Reminds me of this scene from Amadeus.
posted by zarq at 9:20 AM on May 4, 2011
posted by zarq at 9:20 AM on May 4, 2011
My MandyDance went the opposite direction, from an exercise in fugue-writing to... whatever it is now. But check out the section at 1:13, for example.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:10 AM on May 4, 2011
posted by Wolfdog at 10:10 AM on May 4, 2011
Are there other places to see music visually delineated like that?
Have you seen the San Francisco Symphony's Keeping Score project? It's tied in with shows on PBS.
posted by phliar at 10:35 AM on May 4, 2011
Have you seen the San Francisco Symphony's Keeping Score project? It's tied in with shows on PBS.
posted by phliar at 10:35 AM on May 4, 2011
>Nokia Ringtone
Here's my personal favorite, which was my boyfriend's ringtone for waaay too long:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nVemsYiUQE&feature=related
posted by cyberdad at 10:53 AM on May 4, 2011
Here's my personal favorite, which was my boyfriend's ringtone for waaay too long:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nVemsYiUQE&feature=related
posted by cyberdad at 10:53 AM on May 4, 2011
Are there other places to see music visually delineated like that?
You might like this guy. (His website)
posted by Ljubljana at 12:38 PM on May 4, 2011
You might like this guy. (His website)
posted by Ljubljana at 12:38 PM on May 4, 2011
yes yes YES THANK YOU!!! ooooh prettttty
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:48 PM on May 4, 2011
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:48 PM on May 4, 2011
yes yes YES THANK YOU!!! ooooh prettttty
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur
Back on topic: the Große Fuge.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:52 PM on May 5, 2011
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur
Back on topic: the Große Fuge.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:52 PM on May 5, 2011
I got that up on my big screen last night and lemme tell ya, that's the best music I ever saw.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:57 PM on May 5, 2011
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:57 PM on May 5, 2011
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