Filling In the Counterpoint

Calling the 2nd movement, starting in measure 20, fugal is a bit of a stretch. There is no consistent countersubject. This two bar phrase (below) serves as a substitute, appearing in different forms in the tenor, alto, and bass after their entrances, in bars 22 through 28.




The subsequent statements of the subject are also non-standard; the alto enters on the mediant rather than the dominant or sub-dominant, for example. The first episode (bars 24-25) does not, as is common in a fugue, modulate to another key, but leads to the bass entrance using the inverted subject.

The second episode (bars 30-31) follows the second alto statement of the subject and does modulate to the dominant (C major), where the tenors take the subject and extend the eighth-note run with the altos harmonizing a third above and modulating to G major.




A longer episode of four bars (36-39) leads back to C major and an entrance by the altos. The sopranos follow their statement of the subject with a new counter subject in bar 36 that is taken up by the basses in bar 38, slightly altered. The altos take the dotted-quarter eighth rhythm of the first counter subject and use it in bars 36 and 38.



The alto entrance in bar 40 is followed by the quarter note counter subject, again altered and also extended. Having modulated back to G major, the tenors state the subject in bar 42 with no counter subject.



The stretto section starts with the altos and contains no counterpoint beyond the overlapping of the subject statements. The final statement of the subject is done by all voices.



I’m not yet convinced that the counterpoint is the best setting for this segment of text. The text isn’t meditative in nature, but those that hold the viewpoint expressed tend to lean towards a meditative life, so the counterpoint could be said to illustrate them rather than the text itself. Following that line of construction, the next section should be dance-like, and not counterpoint.

The 2nd movement so far: