Subject (Tonic Key)
Counter Subject (Dominant Key)
First and Second Responses
Codetta
A fugue is a contrapuntal composition whose form features sections called expositions and episodes.
A fugue exposition is a section that contains at least one full statement of the subject of the fugue.
The fugue subject is the primary melodic idea and is stated by each voice in turn in the first exposition.
The response, called “answer” in some texts, is the subject intervallically altered to start in the original key before modulating to the dominant. Notice that the third note of the subject in the example below descends a perfect fourth to the fourth note. In the response in measure 3, the third note descends a perfect fifth to the fourth note.
An episode is a section that does not contain a full statement of the fugue subject, but instead develops the subject or other prominent ideas through fragmentation and sequencing.
Knowing the structure of a three-voice-fugue, I composed a "sample" of the three voices that appear on the first Episode (Subject, Counter Subject, Responses). I decided not to compose a Codetta, and let echo, effects and the background piece take over that part.
The next stage in the composition of the sound piece, was to "explode" the different melodies of all three voices, and combine them with the backgroung, ambient sound. Fragments of the first presentation of the subject would come out of the first speaker during the "blue phase", fragments of counter subject and response would come out of the second speaker during the "red phase", and finally, fragments of the last presentation of the subject, and the two responses coordinating with it would be played from the third speaker, during the "green phase".
My vocal improvisation (based on the subject) would happen randomly throughout the three loops.
Subject and two Responses-Third Speaker-Green Phase
Subject-First Speaker-Blue Phase
Counter Subject and Response-Second Speaker-Red Phase