top of page
Search

Grosse Fuge (part 2)

Writer's picture: Heather WadeHeather Wade

Beethoven was his own kind of genius, someone generally thinking miles ahead of the rest of us, and sometimes people didn't (or don't) understand his music. There are a great many geniuses that have this experience, of course, Beethoven is not alone. Think of all those artists who found fame and success only after they've died (sorry Vincent), basically because the rest of us need extra time to catch up...Here is Beethoven waiting for us to get smarter...

Beethoven was successful (though not rich) during his lifetime, but he wrote a couple of works that were almost universally panned by critics because they were so complex and forward thinking, and the Grosse Fuge is one of those.


The Grosse Fuge was originally written as part of a bigger work, a complete string quartet, but Beethoven's publisher, after seeing the public's reaction to the work, convinced him to have it published separately. This piece is a double fugue, meaning it has 2 subjects, both of which are treated in fugal form. (I know that's a lot of words, but read on)...


A FUGUE is KIND OF (I'm about to get into trouble here...) like a canon or a round (think Row Row Row your Boat). It is NOT a canon or a round (quick damage control), but the essential idea is similar in that you take a tune (or a fugal subject) and pass it around. The main difference is that in a fugue, the subject is developed and changed, and in a canon it is not.


So, in this Grosse (meaning big) Fuge, Beethoven has 2 subjects. Sometimes they occur simultaneously. Sometimes they are presented in retrograde (backwards), inversion (upside down), or with their tempos and rhythms changed - twice as slow or twice as fast. Sometimes Beethoven breaks them into sections or pieces. Really, a dedicated scholar could spend months studying this work to try to catch all the bits that are in there. (That dedicated scholar is not me.)


But things have changed in our musical consciousness since 1826, and people are starting to come around. This work is becoming more and more loved, not only by other musical geniuses (like Stravinsky, who said that he loved this work beyond all others), but also by the rest of us, since maybe we understand it a bit more now. Admittedly, it is still a big challenge, both for the listener and for the performers. It is a bit like eating 10 pounds of potatoes. REALLY HEAVY. But delicious if done right.


The Grosse Fuge will be presented by the Cape Symphony principal strings (that's Jae, me, Jacques and Elias) on the May classical cycle. Also on the program is the Moonlight Sonata and The 9th Symphony. See you there!



BEETHOVEN'S 9TH: ODE TO JOY

Date: May 14 & 15

Showtimes: Sat 7:30pm, Sun 3:00pm

Barnstable Performing Arts Center

more info at




18 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Commenti


bottom of page