Some little fugues

Counterpoint is essential in my music (and it should be in general). I took some wonderful courses on counterpoint long ago, and they were essential in my personal musical development. I went into the idea of taking the basic concepts and use them in other styles. 

Fugue "a lo barroco" (baroque-style) is not my favourite field, but sometimes  I do. it for fun, without that obsession about fifths and parallels, etc.... If it sounds good to me, it's OK.

Three examples (the numbers is because they are part of a larger series):

08 Double Fugue in Ebm

11 Fugue in Fm (Doppo l'scuro nembo by Bellini)

19 Fugue in Am

Hi Luis!  So as always seems to be with fugues I have some points:

About your Double Fugue:

In general writing chord names (and I don't know if you composed it with chords in mind but it seems like you did which isn't a benefit to your counterpoint) because it will prevent you from writing some beautiful dissonances which even in Bach's time were quite common (use of suspensions, passing/neighbor tones on strong beats).  Also, the construction of your subjects sounds a bit clumsy especially in your 2nd subject which uses what I would call "receding tones" (in measure 19 beat 1 1/2 and where that crops up again).  In measure 18 beat 3 and 4 you use an augmented 2nd in your subject which has traditionally been avoided as a poor choice in beautiful melody writing.  The counterpoint you write for your subjects also doesn't seem to distinguish itself enough to stay in my ear.  In measure 22 your 2nd entry of the 2nd subject crops up in the same voice as the previous entry of the subject (the reason that it's traditionally done in a different voice is also because it creates a nice contrast in register).  You could have had a counter-subject come in there instead and had the 2nd entry come in in the soprano voice - imo would be more satisfactory.  In measure 20 beat 3 and 4 you have a rising figure in your subject which foils it's own expectations (because it outlines a Bb7 chord, the listener expects a resolution to Gb on the 1st beat of the next measure - or Eb - Bb is a poor candidate there).  Subverting these kinds of strongly implied melodic expectations makes your subject sound like it's just wandering up and down the range of the keyboard aimlessly.  I think the reason why this is so is because you probably started with the harmony first which I guess is a good way to ensure that both your subjects would be consonant to each other when the time came to combine them.  If I were writing this fugue I wouldn't have been so intent on making sure its a double fugue and focused more on just writing beautiful, catchy subjects that hook the listener which is all the fun of a fugue (being able to identify the entry of each subject just by listening).  Thanks for sharing!

@PaperComposer Thanks for your comments. The fact is I don't follow any of those rules (which I don't know very well). Just for a reason: I don't want to write fugues or counterpoint in the exact baroque style. I'm interested in taking elements from that and make what I want. A different thing is you or anybody, don't like it. That's normal... Your suggestions try to adjust the piece to those baroque standards, which is I run away from. 

Thank goodness I didn't upload some of my modal fugue...? There were no fugues in the period of modal music, but.... why not now?

@Luis Hernández I think the point about the melody satisfying it's own implied expectations is valid in any era of music not just baroque.  If your melody doesn't allow for some strong harmonic motion that it sets up by itself then there's no anchors or milestones within the melody and it will end up just sounding like it's wandering up and down aimlessly imo.

2 hours ago, PaperComposer said:

@Luis Hernández I think the point about the melody satisfying it's own implied expectations is valid in any era of music not just baroque.  If your melody doesn't allow for some strong harmonic motion that it sets up by itself then there's no anchors or milestones within the melody and it will end up just sounding like it's wandering up and down aimlessly imo.

 

Ah yes, the melody again....