M2 
M U g 
Of FUGUES. Plate XI. 
Fugue, in Italian fuga, from the Latin fugere , to fly, 
is a compofition in which the leading part, or firft treble, 
is purfued by the fecond, the fecond treble by the tenor, 
and the tenor by the bafs ; fo that a fugue is a flight and 
a purfuit. Rouffeau defines a fugue “ a piece of muiic in 
which a trait of melody, called th t fubjeSt, is treated ac¬ 
cording to certain eftablilhed rules of harmony and modu¬ 
lation,"in making it pal's fucceflively and alternately from 
one part to another.” The fubjeft relembles the text of 
a fermon, out of which all that is faid fliould naturally 
ariie, and ferve as a commentary and illuftration. But 
though, for variety, or to indulge caprice, fugues and 
canons have been compofed in all intervals, yet orthodox 
contrapuntifts allow no fugues to be regular, but thofe 
of which the anfwer is made in the fifth, fourth, eighth, 
or unifon, as then the intervals will be the fame! And of 
the anfwers, the preference is given to the fifth, then to 
the fourth, eighth, and unifon ; as the effeft is pleating 
in that order. It muft be remembered that the fabject it- 
felf, as of all other movements, fliould begin on the key¬ 
note, its fifth, or its eighth. 
Of all kinds of mufical compofition, the fugue is the 
only one that hath futtained itfelf through all the caprices 
of faftiion. Ages have not changed its form ; and fugues 
compofed two hundred years ago are as new as thofe of 
the prefent day. See p. 301. 
“ The art of fugue and double counterpoint,” fays Mr. 
Kollman, “ has been fo much neglefted ever fince the 
time of thofe two greateft fuguifls John Sebaftian Bach 
and George Frederic Handel, that at prefent it is too ge¬ 
nerally defpifed, for want of being fufliciently known. 
And yet nothing in mufic deferves more to be cultivated 
than the knowledge of that art. For it teaches how a 
melody can be harmonifed by other melodies; and how 
the inverfion, tranfpofition, and imitation, of melodious 
parts, produce an abundance of fublime and interefting 
varieties, which the greateft genius and natural talent can¬ 
not make us invent, without fuch an afliftance.” And 
Dr. Burney obferves, that, “ when Sig. Eximeno calls 
fugues and canons Gothic compofitions, he does not 
difgrace their ftrufture any more than he would our 
cathedrals, by calling them Gothic buildings. Let 
fugues be baniihed from the theatre and private con¬ 
cert, if he pleafes; but let them remain in the church 
as a diftinft fpecies of compofition, where they were 
firft generated, and where they can never become vul¬ 
gar or obfolete. The ftyle is naturally grave, requires 
mufical learning, and will, by the folemnity of the words 
and place of performance, continue to be reverenced 
and refpefted. It is allowed that variety is more wanted 
in muiic than in any other art ; and by totally ex¬ 
communicating canons and fugues from the church, the 
art would lofe one capital fource of variety, as well as in¬ 
genuity ; and intelligent hearers be bereaved of a folemn 
ftyle of mufic, to be heard no-where elfe.” 
In the chants of the ancient church, that part of the 
fcale contained between the key-note and its fifth above, 
was called the authentic mode; and the remaining part, 
contained between the fifth and the key-note, the plagal 
mode. Thus, the authentic mode coniifts of five notes, 
tind the plagal of four. In the minor key, the fixth and 
ieventh in the plagal mode may be occafionally raifed a 
iemitone. Ex. 1. contains a variety of fubjefts with 
their anfwers. 
The melody of the anfwer muft exactly correfpond 
with that of the fubjeft. A true modulation, or exaft 
conformity to the key, muft be obferved. The key-note 
and fifth muft anfwer each other on the firft and laft note 
of the fubjeft and anfwer. In a Ikip they muft anfwer 
each other in the fame manner. Different anfwers may 
be given to the fame fubjeft, according to the key into 
which the fubjeft is to modulate. To (how the difference 
between a fugue and mere imitation, we haye given, from 
I C. 
the MSS. of Mr. Baumgarteu, a Uriel fugue at Ex, a, «, 
and the fame fubjeft in common imitation at b. 
When the fubjeft and anfwer have been given, the fub¬ 
jeft may be repeated by a third part, and anlwered by the 
fourth, if there are fo maiiy parts ; after which, the com- 
pofer may ufe either the fubjeft or the anfwer, or final 1 
portions of them, in any key he pleafes, and even on dif¬ 
ferent notes. The fubjefts and anfwers fliould become 
moreclofe and frequent towards the conclufion. In Ex. 3, 
at a, fee a fubjeft from Handel, to which, it will be ob¬ 
ferved, the compofer has added a free accompaniment; 
and at h a palfage of imitation between the anfwer and 
return of the fubjeft, in order to aflift the modulation. 
The fubjeft, with its anfwers and repetitions, may be 
brought at various diltances of time, and on various notes 
of the key, as in Ex. 4. The firft note of the fubjeft or 
anfwer is frequently fliortened or lengthened in the 
courfe of the fugue, as in Ex. 5. 
A doable fugue is one in which two or more fubjefts are 
ufed together. The fubjefts may begin nearly together, 
at the beginning of the fugue, as at Ex. 6. a; (where 
they are diftinguifhed by the figures 1 and 2.) or the fe¬ 
cond fubjeft may be introduced in the middle, or towards 
the latter end, or with the firft fubjeft, as at b. The four 
fubjefts of the chorus, “ Let old Timotheus yield the 
prize,” in Handel’s Alexander’s Feaft, is exhibited at 
Ex. 7. 
The fubjeft of a fugue is fometimes anfwered in inver¬ 
fion, reverfion, diminution, and augmentation. The 
fubjeft is anfwered in inverfion in the overture to Either, 
See Ex. 8. «. In the laft movement in the Mefliah, the 
fubjeft is anfwered by reverfion ; fee b. An anfwer by 
diminution, from the chorus “ Let all the angels of God,” 
in the Mefliah, fee at c; and an example of augmenta¬ 
tion, at d. 
A holding-note, or point d'orgue, may be ufed either- 
on the key-note, or fifth in the bafs; and fometimes firft 
on one and then on the other, for feveral bars previous 
to the conclufion of a fugue. See Ex. 9. from the laft 
chorus in the Mefliah. 
Of CANONS. Plate XII. 
A canon is a melody performed by two or more parts 
of a fcore; one of which muft begin before the other has 
finilhed. The word is Greek,, yeoemv, “ a rule, or law.” 
A canon, therefore, is a law given by one part to another, 
or to feveral parts. As nothing is more difficult to com- 
pofe than canons, fo no fpecies of compofition has exer- 
cifed ingenuity, meditation, and labour, in more various 
ways than the conftruftion of them. 
In the unifon and oftave, they are not only more eafy 
to compofe, but are more pleating to hear; as allother 
canons are moving in two or three different keys at the 
fame time. But canons that are ealy to write, and pleaf- 
ing to hear, are in no eftimation among mailers and pro¬ 
found contrapuntifts. They have no more refpeft for a 
canon in the unifon and oftave, than a geometrician for a 
fum in addition ; they regard canons as mufical problems, 
of which if the folution is ealy, they are unworthy of 
notice. They are, in reality, more.calculated to exercife 
intelleft, than delight the auricular fenle. 
Canons were the laft co/npofitions which mailers con- 
defeended to publilh in feore. They were regarded as 
enigmas, which required the deepeft fagacity and lcience 
to unfold. All the feveral parts were written on one Half, 
frequently without fpecifying when, where, and in what 
interval, the other parts came in. Sometimes, indeed, the 
compofer was fo indulgent as to place this charafter 
over the firft note of each of the other parts; but without 
indicating at what diftancefrom the propojla, or fubjeft, or 
whether above br below it. At other times the performers 
were told what kind of canon it was, and liow refolved, 
by a Greek or Latin term 5 that is, on what found the. 
