Perceptual Potential of Fugue (Alternative Vision of Scientist Shalva Aslanishvili)

Abstract

The fugue is one of the most interesting forms of musical composition. It not infrequently produces various compositional versions simultaneously. Both volumes of the highly artistic creation 'Well-Tempered Clavier' by I. S. Bach, the incomparable master of polyphonic art, have become the object of research in various aspects for many scientists. Among them is the work of musicologist Shalva Aslanishvili “Principles of Formability in Bach's Fugues”.

The purpose of the present article is to discuss the alternative position of the scientist in relation to the perception of the fugue form. In the work, the researcher deals with the thematism of the fugue, structural elements, the issue of tonal development and its connection with thematism, the primary and secondary signs of the composition's divisions, the relationship of the parts of the form. The composition of the fugue is thought out in an original way in the work, which is due to the identification of the most important one for the author among the form creation criteria.

The reason for the different approach is the primacy of the thematic factor and giving it the leading position in form creation. The author's relation to the tonal factor is very specific. Relegating it to the background in fugues can lead to the bypassing of the characteristics of the Baroque era. As a result, we get fewer versions of the fugue form, which limits its potential for compositional diversity.

When perceiving a fugue, the open or veiled omissions of form-determining factors are important, emphasizing the constant procedural nature of polyphonic music. Therefore, the existence of several versions of the fugue genre is the result of revealing the potential of a polyphonic, contrapuntal understanding of fugue composition. The fugue itself allows for varied interpretations, leading to a variety of performance interpretations. And yet, what are we dealing with – the fugue's potential or the researcher's alternative visions? Here is the answer - we are dealing with both.