Fugue in D minor, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in the early eighteenth century, entered the treasury of world classical music as one of the most popular and famous compositions. It is performed most often together with a toccata, sustained in the same tonality. For professional musicians and amateurs familiar with the basics of musical notation, the name is clear. All other music lovers need an explanation of what “minor” means and in which opuses of the great master (as well as other composers) he is found.
Is Bach the author?
For a long time - more than two and a half centuries - no one doubted that this fugue was written by Bach. Then, in the eighties of the last century, two books appeared, in which, based on a detailed analysis of the style and the most often used composer musical techniques, doubts were expressed about the authenticity of officially recognized authorship. The presence of parallel octaves, a subdominant response, and some other moments characteristic of the work are either not found in other works of Bach, or are extremely rare.
These features are understandable only to specialists who have deep knowledge of theory, so it makes no sense to go into details. It remains only to believe Christoph Wolf (a supporter of the fact that Bach nevertheless wrote toccata and fugue) or Peter Williams (an opponent of Bach's authorship). In addition, brilliant composers often did something that surprised themselves, such is their nature that they do not obey given algorithms. “Fugue in D Minor” is an outstanding piece, unlike anything else. Paradoxically, in a way, this speaks in favor of its authenticity. The tonality in which it is written provides rich possibilities for expressing emotions overwhelming a talented soul.
A bit about solfeggio and scales
Quite a bit should go deeper into theory, without this it is impossible. First, you need to remember that any harmonious sound is a collection of frequencies, among which the main one that determines the position of the note stands out. For example, “la 1” corresponds to air vibrations of 440 Hz.
The human ear distinguishes between seven tones and five semitones in each scale, then everything starts again, already in a different octave. Visually, this can be appreciated by looking at the piano keyboard: white keys are tones, and black keys are midtones. It is clear that an increase (major or “moll”) of one tone by half is the same as a decrease of the next. In other words, D minor is identical to the term d-moll.
A simple (though not always) exercise for elementary school students in music schools is such an important element of education as learning gamma. It gives the main thing - remembering where the key is located on the keyboard, or which string of the harp (violin, cello, domra, etc.) creates the required sound. The same goes for wind instruments. The upward gamut on the guitar is sometimes written in Latin (H - semitone, Half) or Russian letters (T and P), for example, WWHWWWH (T-T-P-T-T-T-P), which reads like this: " tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone). This way of memorizing makes it possible for those who study professionally at the conservatory to have the time or desire to master the most popular tool and want to play. The gamma in D minor sounds in this order: re, mi, fa, salt, a, b flat, do, re.
The works of this key
Music affects human consciousness more than any other art form. Minor key, unlike major, creates a sad, thoughtful and even sometimes aggressive mood. This psychological peculiarity of perception was often used by composers of past centuries, and modern works are very often kept in it. Blues is based on "downward" harmony, like so many rock samples. Among classical music, sustained in the key of “D minor”, besides Bach’s fugue, the most famous pieces were his “Concerto No. 1 for Clavier and Orchestra” (BWV 1052), “Requiem” by Mozart, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (widely known as “Ode” joys ”in its fourth part). The Twentieth Century gave us the Seventh Symphony of Dvorak, the First Rachmaninoff, his Fugue, the Third Concert and Etude, painted in the same key, the second Sonata for Piano Prokofiev, Sonata for Piano Shostakovich and many other wonderful works.
In modern processing
Each composer has the right to choose which tonality he likes. In addition, the harmony of harmony corresponds to the emotional fullness of the work, its meaning and super task. Music is optimistic-major, gloomy-minor or has all possible intermediate shades. The richness of the heritage of past centuries prompts many jazzmen and rock artists to create original arrangements of the works of classical composers of past centuries. For example, the famous band “Megadeth” by the beginning of the song “Loved to Deth” made a quote performed on the piano in which every enlightened music lover easily guesses Bach's “Fugue in D Minor”. There are other examples of how sonatas, fugues and concerts of this tonality, used by current musicians, become particularly consonant with our anxious times.