The Study of Fugue (Dover Books on Music) [Paperback]

Alfred Mann (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Books on Music | Publication Date: August 1, 1987

Opening with a comprehensive historical survey of writings on the fugue from the beginning of fugal teaching (circa 1350) to the present, this text also explores four 18th-century studies which are its classical presentations: Steps to Parnassus, J. J. Fux (1725), A Treatise on Fugue, W. F. Marpurg (1753–54), more. Includes introductions, commentary, and 255 musical examples.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Dr. Mann applies original ideas to solid historical facts illustrated with frequent and well-chosen musical examples....The ratings of Dr. Mann's book on this score is high: it contains 255 musical examples, many of them complete pieces....Among the latter are some works not easily available elsewhere...we have the most comprehensive and useful survey of the fugue available in any language.”–Music Library Association Notes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 339 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (August 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486254399
• ISBN-13: 978-0486254395
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is worth 10 times the price, July 31, 2006

By 

Hans Hummel (Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Study of Fugue (Dover Books on Music) (Paperback)

Get this book, it is so great, beyond words, Alfred Mann is like the Saint of Musical theory!
What it contains is a complete study of the subject fugue - through the works of 4 theorists,
Fux, modal-style,
Marpurg, student of bach,
Albrechtsberger, teacher of Beethoven
Padre Martini, most famous theorist at the time of Mozart, and at one point the teacher of Mozart(the book contains a Mozart fugue, and the "corrections" done by Martini)

Before hand it may proove essential to know the basic theory - start with "Gradus ad Parnasum"(same author)
and get a good book of Functional Harmony as well.
After that, this book will be all you need to start fugal writing.

Good luck!

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique!, January 11, 2002

By 

R. Machado "Giacometti" (Sao Paulo, SP Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Study of Fugue (Dover Books on Music) (Paperback)

It's not very simple to find books about musical forms and composition. This is an excelent title. The text is very rich and complete and it's possible for the reader to do your own fugues. Of course is not for begginers, it's necessary that you have a good knowledge in music, including counterpoint. Counterpoint is aborded, of course, but if you'd never seen the subject, the read may be a little boring.

The good news are: If you like music, if you have studied for a long time and would like to begin with your own compositions, this is a mandatory book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great music theory classic, January 9, 2010

By 

Hexagram of the Heavens (Tropical Zone) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Study of Fugue (Dover Books on Music) (Paperback)

This is the sequel to Mann's translation of part one of Fux's "Gradus ad Parnassus", (which is the section on species counterpoint, and which is a prerequisite to this book.) "The Study of Fugue" includes the best of Fux's instruction on fugue (part two of the "Gradus ad Parnassus"), plus additional material from 3 more important 18th century writers, two being the teachers of Mozart and Beethoven respectively, and one an associate of J. S. Bach.

Alfred Mann's detailed history of fugal theory makes up the first part of the book. If you combine this with the similar exposition in the first part of Knud Jeppesen's "Counterpoint", you have a wonderful overview of the history of contrapuntal music theory from the medieval period up to the dawn of romanticism.

Jeppesen's "Counterpoint" does contain a short appendix on fugue, but many details are left out. Although Jeppesen's book is a valued resource in my library, reading Mann on fugue exposes two shortcomings in Jeppesen which are not apparent to the reader of Jeppesen alone (I reviewed Jeppesen's book separately but some comments are relevant here.)

(1) Jeppesen's insistence on correcting Fux's faulty understanding of Palestrina's style (which he does in exhaustive detail) misses the point that the species exercises are only preliminaries to writing Baroque fugue, and are not really intended to reproduce Renaissance style - that is, Fux's use of Palestrina as a model is more a literary device than a practical exercise. So you can give Fux a break; Jeppesen is right about the details of Palestrina's style, but Fux's book is still valid in itself as a manual of Baroque practice.

(2) Jeppesen fails to properly or fully explain the function of the plagal and authentic modes as the organizing force behind the ranges of the four voices - soprano, alto, tenor, bass - and the huge effect that this organization had on the evolution of the fugue by in turn organizing the development of the "tonal answer". One finishes Jeppesen's book still wondering why the plagal modes existed at all; one finishes Mann's book understanding that the "twelve modes" of Glareanus (six plagal and six authentic, an expanded set of the original eight medieval "church modes" which was current in the 16th and 17th centuries) were an active part of musicians' thinking well into the 18th century, and understanding that this in turn is important to understanding fugal practice.

Each of the four 18th century authors showcased by Mann has his own repertory of fugal tricks and techniques, and they fill in each other's weak points pretty well, so it's a blessing to have them all together in one book. The fluidity of fugal practice is emphasized, and it is clear that there are lots of ways to write a fugue, and that there is no one absolute formula which must be dogmatically adhered to.