Swingtime and Fugue in A minor

 

Swingtime and Fugue in A minor - (2010)    

for piano

 

A quiet cluster of black notes whispers over the dominant E of the bass. before the first gesture in A minor serving as introduction to this short amusement. The theme of parallel five note clusters -- possible because of remaining on the white keys -- moves over a climbing bass line in the natural minor tonic. The voices collapse in towards one another, and a theme in the tonic sings out as the bulk of the "swingtime" form.

 

 

After a whispered cadence, the fugue subject is stated in the tonic, with the more unusual answer stated throughout in the subdominant. As the second voice in counterpoint to the fugue subject itself, I place that silly theme which appeared in melodramas of the villain, which those familiar with cartoons and silent movies of past eras might recognize with its trill menacing some innocent figure in the melodrama. Elements of the parallelism from the swingtime reappear, and the fugue ends with a similar quiet "button" as earlier.

 

 

The score is 4 pages, with an approximate performance time of 2' 50."  

 

The score is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this piano score.

 

Swingtime and Fugue in A minor