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Canon And Fugue Comparison

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Before the difference between a canon and fugue can be discussed in any detail it is necessary to address the main difference between the two forms, their imitative styles. Both the canon and fugue fall under the category of imitative counterpoint compositions. They use imitative polyphony to create a complex texture within the piece of music. Imitative polyphony consists of several melodic parts, that are virtually the same or similar to one another, that are sung or played at different time intervals and in different keys . Imitative pieces are not as simple as one line constantly repeating throughout a piece. The actual imitation can be divided into two types, strict and free or non-strict. Strict imitation, which is more commonly referred …show more content…

Trills are used throughout the piece in each voice adding an urgency to the piece that the canon did not possess. The trills in each voice and altering tempos also serve to fill out the piece in a way that constantly pushes the listener forward and leaves little room for the ear to rest. The base ostinato that was present in Pachelbel’s work is not so present in Bach’s piece. There is a base voice that persists throughout most of the piece, but there are times when it is not present. The tempo of the baseline is also altered throughout the piece. It slows to contrast with the two highest registers when their tempo increases. This shift occurs almost halfway through the piece and cases the focus of the listener to shift to the higher register that is currently being played with a high level of ornamentation. Each of the four voices are altered in some way throughout the piece, the highest register is altered the most, whereas the third and second seem to follow one another throughout it. Even with the alteration in the development of the piece each of the voices returns to the original motif to end the piece with an echoing of the same line.

Furthermore, Bach’s little fugue in G minor with its heavily ornamented segments set against a more subdued base served as a platform to showcase the talent of the organist. This fugue was not meant to be a simple chamber piece like Canon in D. it was meant to impress the audience and showcase the prowess of both the composer and

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