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Two Seven Flat Fugues - (2015)
for piano
Over breakfast, a topic of conversation was the seeming bias many players have for the key signatures with seven accidentals. Some favor sharps and others flats, and the musing was that while some bias has to do with tunings, such as strings for violins, violas and celli as against the older viols, other biases may be psychological in nature. Of course, C flat and B major are kin, one with seven and the other with five accidentals and thereby explaining one difference in preferences (C sharp and D flat the parallel enharmonic and differing number of accidentals in the signature). But others have to do with the tuning of winds versus strings, as with harp versus piano. A flat minor is not as unusual, with Puccini's use as an example. This quiet fugue in seven flats is also in seven quarters -- 7/4 time -- as a composer's amusement, perhaps.
The C flat major fugue opens with a clear outline of the tonic, washing away the A flat minor which preceded. The instances of the fugue and its inversion are easily followed for the "square" nature of the subject, though there is some harmonic dalliance in its progress.
7 pages, circa 8' 00" - an MP3 demo is here:
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.
