Description
Book SynopsisImprovising Fugue: A Method for Keyboard Artists is a guide for those who aspire to the highest levels of fluency as inventors of spontaneous music at the piano, fortepiano, harpsichord, organ, or digital keyboard.
Trade ReviewMortensen has done it again! As in The Pianist's Guide to Historical Improvisation, he wryly de-mystifies the process of historically informed musical creation, and provides a richly informed, yet practical and step-by-step guide to understanding and improvising music, this time confronting the apex of musical forms: the fugue. Full of examples from the repertoire, and inventive, practical, progressive exercises and helpful explanations, this is a perfect present-day guide for students, teachers, and musicians who want to roll up their sleeves and get inside the art and craft of fugal creation. * Yi-heng Yang, Faculty of Keyboard Studies and Improvisation, The Juilliard School *
Improvising music is one thing. Improvising a fugue is quite another, so remarkable as to be thought of as being possible only by such musical gods as J. S. Bach, even in his own day. And yet, musicians of the past aspired towards it through study and exercise, knowing that the insights and abilities thus gained would be invaluable—and many, more than we know, were actually able to do it. John Mortensen has shown a path in Improvising Fugue that makes this pinnacle visible and even reachable. This book will be your constant companion in this ultimate endeavor. * Peter Sykes, Faculty, Boston University, University of Michigan, The Juilliard School *
It's a well-known fact. Many old masters, such as J.S. Bach, Händel, Mozart, Haydn, Durante, Beethoven, or Liszt, all learned and taught keyboard improvisation. Dr. John Mortensen's Improvising Fugue: A Method for Keyboard Artists will greatly contribute to the revival of these skills, once so essential to the art of piano playing. * Peter van Tour, author of Counterpoint and Partimento *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Dedication Prelude Chapter 1 Introduction to Furno Chapter 2 Furno's Ten Partimenti Chapter 3 Bass Diminution Chapter 4 After Furno Chapter 5 Partimento Practice Chapter 6 Partimento Imitation and Fugue Chapter 7 Bicinium Chapter 8 Bass Motions in Invertible Counterpoint Chapter 9 Introduction to Improvised Fugue Chapter 10 Improvising a First Fugue on Handel Chapter 11 Exposition Chapter 12 Episode Chapter 13 Presentation Chapter 14 Stretto Chapter 15 Pedal Point, Cadenza, Ending Chapter 16 Improvising Fugue Glossary of Persons and Terms Index
