Disturbing key in D minor

Fugue in D Minor, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in the early eighteenth century, entered the treasury of world classical music as one of the most popular and famous compositions. It is performed most often together with a tokatu, sustained in the same key. Professional musicians and amateurs familiar with the basics of musical notation, the name is understandable. All other music lovers need an explanation of what "D minor" means, and in which opuses of the great master (and also other composers) he meets.

Is Bach the author?

For a long time - more than two and a half centuries - no one doubted that this fugue was written by Bach. Then, in the eighties of the last century, two books appeared, in which, based on a detailed analysis of the stylistics and the musical techniques most often used by the composer, doubts about the authenticity of officially recognized authorship are voiced. The presence of parallel octaves, subdominant response and some other characteristic moments of the product either do not occur in other works of Bach, or are extremely rare.

These features are clear only to specialists who have deep knowledge of the theory, so there is no sense to go into details. It remains only to believe Christophe Wolf (a supporter of the fact that Bach still wrote tokatu and fugue) or Peter Williams (opponent of the authorship of Bach). Besides, genius composers often created something that surprised them, such is their nature, that they do not obey given algorithms. "Fugue in D Minor" - a product of an extraordinary, not like anything else. Paradoxically, but in a sense it speaks in favor of its authenticity. The tone in which it is written, gives rich opportunities for expression of emotions, overflowing the talented soul.

A little bit about solfeggio and scales

Very little is necessary to go deeper into theory, without this in any way it is impossible. First, we need to remember that any harmonious sound is a set of frequencies, among which the main note determining the position is singled out. For example, "la 1" corresponds to air fluctuations of 440 Hz.

The human ear distinguishes seven tones and five halftones in each scale, then everything starts again, already in another octave. You can appreciate it visually, looking at the piano keyboard: white keys are tones, and black ones are semitones. It's clear that raising (a major or "moll") of one tone to its half is the same as lowering the next one. In other words, the D minor is identical with the term "d-moll".

A simple (though not always) exercise for primary school pupils of musical schools is such an important element of education as learning the scales. It gives the main thing - remembering where the key is located on the keyboard, or what string of harp (violin, cello, domra, etc.) creates the desired sound. The same applies to wind instruments. The rising gamma on the guitar is sometimes written for the sake of simplicity in Latin (H-semitone, Half) or Russian letters (T and P), for example, WWHWWWH (T-P-T-T-T-P), which reads: Tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone). This method of memorization makes it possible to master the most popular tool for those who professionally study at the conservatory have no time or desire, but want to play. Gamma D minor sounds in this sequence: re, mi, fa, salt, la, B flat, before, re.

Works of this key

Music affects the human mind more than any other kind of art. Minor tonality, in contrast to the major, creates a sad, pensive and even sometimes aggressive mood. This psychological feature of perception was often used by composers of past centuries, and modern works are often kept in it. The blues are based on "subtle" harmony, like many rock patterns. From classical music, in the D minor, besides Bach's fugue, the most famous works were his "Concerto No.1 for the Clavier with Orchestra" (BWV 1052), Mozart's "Requiem", Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (widely known for "Ode Joy "in the fourth part of it). The twentieth century gave us the Seventh Symphony of Dvorak, the First Rachmaninov, his Fugue, the Third Concert and the Study-Painting written in the same key, the second Sonata for piano Prokofiev, the Sonata for piano Shostakovich and many other remarkable works.

In modern processing

Each composer has the right to choose which key he likes. In addition, the harmony of the harmony corresponds to the emotional fullness of the work, its meaning and super-task. Music can be optimistic-major, gloomy-minor or has all possible intermediate shades. The wealth of heritage of past centuries encourages many jazzmen and rock performers to create original arrangements of works by classical composers of past centuries. For example, the well-known band "Megadeth" with the beginning of the song "Loved to Deth" made a quote performed on the piano, in which every enlightened music lover easily guesses "Bug's" Fugue in D Minor ". There are other examples of how sonatas, fugues and concerts of this tonality, used by current musicians, are especially consonant with our troubled time.