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Contrapunctus XIV by Johann Sebastian Bach

completed by Kalevi Aho

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Overview:

Key signature: Concert d minor Length: 16 minutes

Time signature: 4/4 Style: Fugue

Tempo: Quarter note = 72-80 Dynamic range: mf - ff

Grade level: 4 Scoring: 4 part Flex

Instrumentation:

Parts 1-4: C instruments, Bb instruments, Eb instruments

F instruments would have to transpose from Eb part.

Special Considerations:

This piece is Kalevi Aho's completion of the previously unfinished Contrapunctus XIV from Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of Fugue). The score linked above is for string orchestra, which follows exactly the same format as this flex arrangement. The audio recording is linked to his organ version because the flex version has not been recorded yet.

There are different theories about why Bach was unable to finish the fugue, but it was likely due to his deteriorating health and eyesight. The original material contains a triple fugue, with the first theme beginning in measure 1, the second theme starting at measure 114, and the third theme being introduced in measure 193 with the notes B-A-C-H (H being B natural in German).

All three subjects of the fugue are combined shortly before Bach's manuscript ends in measure 239. Scholars believe Bach intended the Die Kunst der Fuge theme to be the fourth subject and many composers have finished their own version of the piece based on that. Kalevi Aho's completion of the work takes the piece to an impressive 353 measures.

Rehearsal Suggestions

Musical Expression:

The interplay between voices in a Bach fugue opens up its own world of musical expression. There are no shortage of recordings available, each with a unique interpretation of the same pitches and rhythms. Have musicians listen to a variety of recordings. Reflect on the different interpretations (for example, the moods Glenn Gould chose to evoke compared to the Unamas Fugue Quintet). Encourage musicians to allow their own emotions to come through the piece. In Completing the Circle, Bud Beyer described the importance for performers to set the atmosphere. This refers to how the feeling of a room can change (for better or worse) when someone new walks in. Each of us has the power to create the atmosphere we want. Bud Beyer's exercise (or game) was for everyone to sit in a circle around the room and one person at a time would walk in and create the atmosphere purely through body language, facial expression, and other non verbal communication. The people already in the room experienced how the climate in the room changed each time someone new took their turn. After musicians have completed this exercise/game, give them time to experiment with playing each theme with a different character (sad, thoughtful, joyful, mysterious, etc.). Interpretations develop over time, but they must be fostered. Performers must realize they have a role in shaping the experience for the listener.

Tonality/Intonation:

Contrapunctus XIV has a tonal center of d minor and uses accidentals to modulate through other keys. Musicians have to be able to play with proper intonation in all keys and before they can do that, they must have a process for tuning. Edward Lisk provides a very detailed explanation of the hows and whys of the tuning process in many of his books, including The Creative Director: Conductor, Teacher, Leader.

It is best to set a pitch from either a drone or a tuba (or lowest instrument in the band). A drone is advantageous, if possible, because it provides a consistent pitch. Using the Yamaha Harmony Director HD 200 keyboard is also helpful for hearing chords in just intonation and tuning them accordingly.

Concert F is the best pitch for tuning almost all wind instruments because of the overtone series and where it lies on the instruments. The exception is Eb alto and baritone saxophones, but the benefits of F in all the other instruments outweigh this. After the winds have tuned to F, the drone or tuba should switch to Bb and all winds should join the Eb saxophones in tuning that note. Start by tuning principal players. After the principal euphonium is in tune with the tuba, they should continue to play and then the principal trombone player should join them. The process repeats through score order (ascending). After that, everyone else tunes by listening to their section leader. Only one person in each section (who has not yet tuned) should tune with the section leader at a time, so each musician can clearly hear themselves and identify if there are beats in the sound. Musicians do not need to know if they are flat or sharp. They only need to listen for beats in the sound. If they are pinching the embouchure to slow down beats, they are flat and if they are relaxing the embouchure to slow down beats, they are sharp. Then they can adjust their instrument by moving the slide/mouthpiece/barrel in or out or adjusting the reed. Next, they need to identify if the beats got slower or faster. Faster beats means to go the opposite direction on the instrument and slower beats means to continue in the same direction until the beats have been eliminated. When musicians are perfectly in tune, their sound is indistinguishable from the sound of their section leader. They should keep playing as the rest of the section tunes. In addition to blending within the section, each section needs to balance within the ensemble. In general, this means musicians should listen down to the tuba or lowest instrument in the ensemble or the instrument playing the lowest part.

After musicians have completed the tuning process, they can play unison pitches around the Circle of 4ths from Edward Lisk's Alternative Rehearsal Techniques - Creative Director Series. This allows them to hear and play in tune in all keys. Later, add perfect fifths, major chords, and minor chords.

Pulse/Rhythm:

A strong internal pulse is necessary to maintain the complex rhythmic relationships in a fugue. To develop ensemble pulse with my students, I introduce it as a game, based on Edward Lisk's internal pulse exercise (described in The Creative Director: Conductor, Teacher, Leader). To lead the game, hold your hands out with the palms up and count aloud 1-8 (at a tempo of approximately 60 beats per minute). Next, the musicians should count with you. Everyone should be counting with a crisp tone of voice and be focused on listening to the space between the beats. It is necessary for players to keep their bodies from moving during this time. The emphasis is on internal pulse, not on external elements like foot tapping, head bobbing, etc. After the pulse has been established, turn your hands, so your palms are facing down. When your palms are down, you and the ensemble members should switch to silently counting. During silent counting, everyone should keep their lips sealed, so no one is mouthing the numbers to themselves. Remind musicians of the internalization process or "thinking in your brain". Initially, only indicate one or two beats of silence at a time. As the musicians improve their internal pulse, keep your palms down for more beats. It becomes a fun challenge for musicians to see how long they can count silently and still come in on the correct number and with their voices exactly together.

After the musicians have performed the pulse exercise correctly, they should transfer it to playing around the Circle of 4ths. Start by having them play in unison on concert F on the Circle of 4ths for pulse 5. Ensemble members should be counting to five (internally) while they are playing for four beats, releasing on beat five, and then breathing and entering with the new pitch on the next beat. After they have played concert F, they should play concert Bb, then concert Eb, etc. At first, you can conduct a "one" pattern and indicate the entrances and releases. When the ensemble is secure in the internal pulse, stop conducting and let the musicians continue to play pulse 5 around the Circle. It is important to stop the ensemble when precision in entrances and releases is lost. Remind musicians to breathe together and play together. Whenever the entrances or releases lose precision, name a new pulse (for example, pulse 4 or pulse 3) and begin on a different note in the Circle (concert Ab, for example). Eventually, the internal pulse of the ensemble and precision of entrances and releases will improve. As this occurs, indicate

pulses between 3 and 7 (or longer). Rests should also be added. For example, pulse 5 rest 3 would be "play, two, three, four, release, two, three, breathe" and would be notated as a whole note followed by a whole rest.

In a fugue, rhythms are passed from one part to another. If the theme starts in part 4, it might be passed to part 3, then part 2, and finally part 1. Teach musicians how to count and clap any rhythms they do not already know under tempo, before they attempt to play them. This is important because our brains learn most efficiently when we practice at a slow tempo without mistakes. Brain science teaches us many ways to learn more efficiently, including visualization (mental practice).

Some of the rhythms in this arrangement are written in a way that might be confusing for players. For example, the eighth notes are barred in groupings of four, instead of two. Ensemble members may be inclined to play sixteenth notes, rather than eighth notes if they are not looking closely enough. For example, the rhythm for part two in measures 274-275 is counted:

Another element to keep in mind is how the rhythms interact with each other vertically. An example of this is measure 350, when musicians have to precisely line up the sixteenth notes.

After everyone can read, count, and clap each rhythm, have them think and play one rhythm at a time on a unison pitch (starting on concert F) around the Circle of 4ths. It is important during sixteenth note passages for musicians to be subdividing the entire time. Choose two of the four rhythms and divide the ensemble in half. Have one group play one of the rhythms on a unison pitch, while the other half of the ensemble plays the other rhythm (on a unison pitch, perhaps a perfect fifth away). After those rhythms have been played, the ensemble should rest for one measure and then play the rhythms again on the next pitch of the Circle of 4ths. Then switch parts, so everyone is playing a different rhythm from the first time. Repeat this process with the third and fourth rhythms. Next, have the ensemble members play the one rhythm (out of the four) that occurs in their part in the written music. Remind musicians to listen to how the parts line up with each other.

Dynamics:

Contrapunctus XIV has a dynamic range of mezzo forte to fortissimo. Usually, I set dynamic levels from pianissimo to fortissimo, but in this case, dynamic levels should be adjusted. The difference in volume between mezzo forte and forte and fortissimo will be greater. There are several quick decrescendos in this piece. Measures 121-122 is an example of this.

Measures 303-305 are the only time in the piece when a crescendo is indicated.

In his Creative Director Series books, Edward Lisk explains that musicians should count aloud the number of beats the crescendo or decrescendo lasts. Applied to this piece, there is a seven beat crescendo from mezzo forte to forte. Have ensemble members start counting aloud at a mezzo forte volume level at "one" and increase volume, so their voice is forte at "seven". The process is the same for decrescendos, except counting backwards (3, 2, 1), starting with the voice louder and quickly getting softer. Because the decrescendo is so short, have players subdivide to eighth or sixteenth notes to truly experience how the volume is decreasing. After they are able to do this with their voices, they should play their instrument, while thinking the same voice in their head. Remind players they should never be whispering or shouting because these do not represent good tone quality on the instrument. Musicians will improve with time and practice. The most important thing is to be able to say it correctly and apply the same thinking when playing.

Another aspect of the dynamics in this piece is that many times all four parts are marked at the same dynamic level. Have musicians experiment with all playing at exactly the same level and how that sounds compared to using more subtle dynamics. Generally speaking, moving lines need to come out in the texture compared to longer rhythms.

Articulation/Style/Phrasing:

The second subject of this fugue utilizes portato (mezzo staccato) articulations.

Portato notes should be less separated than staccato notes, but more detached than legato notes. The articulation comes from string playing, so show players a video of what portato looks and sounds like on string instruments or have someone demonstrate, if possible. Encourage musicians to think about the musical purpose for this articulation. Have them reflect on how portato notes change the character of the fugue.

The style of a fugue is determined by how each theme is initially stated, based on musical decisions made by the first person or section to play the theme. Edward Lisk's three natural laws of musical expression from The Creative Director: Conductor, Teacher, Leader, help with this. If musicians know that short notes look for long notes, low notes search for high notes, and high notes search for low notes, then they can figure out how to shape each phrase. Musicians who play the theme after the initial statement need to respond to what the theme sounded like originally. Ensemble members must also think in terms of pacing throughout the entire piece.

There are several poco ritardandos during Contrapunctus XIV. They take place at the end of the first statement, at the end of the second statement, and during the transition from Bach's fugue to Kalevi Aho's completion (measures 232-233 shown below).

Transitioning from measure 296 to the end of the piece, there are a few ritardando and largamente markings (for example measures 352-353, below).

Focus on changes in tempo one phrase at a time and have the musicians count the rhythms aloud and change the speed they are counting based on how much they want to slow down. After they have practiced it a few ways with their voices, they should try playing it on their instruments. If they are listening to each other and have established a unified ensemble pulse, they will be able to do this after having practiced it a few times. If the piece is being performed without a conductor, make sure the players know who they should listen to and what they should listen for in each phrase. There are also physical cues to watch for, such as breathing together to start a phrase, and watching for upper body movement for when to release the final note.

Ornamentation:

There are a few ornamental figures that musicians will need to understand how to interpret properly, including mordents, turns, and trills.

A mordent appears in part 3 of measure 196, which is part of the initial statement of the third theme.

Mordents are performed by playing the written note (in tenor clef, C# eighth note), playing the upper note (D eighth note), and playing the written note (C# quarter note) again.

Another ornamentation is a turn, which appears in part 1 of measure 220.

Turns are played by changing the note marked with the turn into four notes (in this case sixteenth notes). Start by playing the note above the written note (treble clef, E), then the written note (D#), next the note below the written note (C#), and end with the written note again (D#).

Trills are the most common form of ornamentation seen in band music. Part 1 has a trill in measure 247.

Because of the flexible instrumentation in the piece, the trill fingerings for these notes will depend on what instrument is playing them. Woodwind players should have access to fingering charts that include trill fingerings, such as The Woodwind Fingering Guide website. Brass players need to know the alternate fingerings/positions for their instrument or have access to a fingering chart with this information, such as the one on the Band World website.

Part 1 of measure 254 has another mordent.

In this case, the notes would be (treble clef) C# (eighth note), D (eighth note), and C# (quarter note).

The last ornamentation in the piece is a grace note into a trill in part 1 in measure 351.

Remind musicians that the grace note should happen exactly on the beat (not before). Depending on the instrument, alternate fingerings might be necessary.