After several Miniatures that have been exploring repeat signs here, here, and here in this most recent set, I decided I needed a compositional palette cleanser. That cleanser took the form of a fugue, which is not always unusual for me. Improvisationally, fugues are generally something I go to as they are always challenging. Even in composition, it is tough to write a fugue that is truly successful and interesting. For Sonata No. 2, I wrote an easy four part fugue which presented all sorts of compositional challenges. Well, I decided to happily take up the challenge again.
This time, for Miniature XIII, I gave myself a few different parameters: 5/4 time signature, a “chorale fugue” with the subject used as the chorale in the pedals (not a REAL chorale), and keeping it generally easy. I think the funkiest thing about the fugue is that it is in 5/4. That time signature though allowed me to play with the accents between pairs of bars giving the impression of groups of 6 or 4 but never letter that take over the general accent that happens on a down beat. Download the score free on IMSLP!