A comparison of thematic and episodic analyses of the Bach Two-Part Inventions.

Abstract

Sources from which the data was drawn were limited to counterpoint texts and an analysis of all fifteen Inventions. Three counterpoint texts were found to qualify: Applied Counterpoint (1902) by Percy Goetschius, Counterpoint (1972) by Kent Kennan, and Essentials of Eighteenth-Century Counterpoint (1968) by Neale Mason. Bach in Color: The Two-Part Inventions (1961) by John Thompson also was an investigated source, since it contains an analysis of all fifteen Inventions. The three counterpoint texts limit thematic and episodic analysis to Inventions I, IV, and VII. Therefore, the comparative procedures of the study were limited to these three Inventions. An analysis was projected for portions missing from the text of Goetschius. Missing portions in Kennan and Mason were secured directly from the authors.

At the conclusion of the study, a thematic and episodic analysis of the fifteen Two-Part Inventions by this writer is presented. Of the three categories employed, the first contains those straightforward statements of the subject which serve a primary thematic function. The second category contains those problematic statements of the short subject which, for a variety of reasons, sound as thematic entries but which generate tonal instability and/or a primarily developmental or cadential passage. Incongruence of formal and harmonic structure was found to affect some of these statements. The third category is composed of all other cadential, developmental and/or modulatory material. These more developmental passages are often referred to as episodes. By means of these three categories, recognition is given to the structural function of problematic statements of the short subject within the Two-Part Inventions.

While Goetschius was found to include as thematic all statements of the entire short subject, the three recent analysts excluded many of these statements, thus classifying them as episode. Many reasons were found for these exclusions. However, the one of greatest significance is that of modulation, a very important function of episode in the fugal works of Bach.

In analyzing the Bach Two-Part Inventions, analysts have classified passages as either thematic or episodic. However, considerable disagreement exists. Since the extent of a thematic area determines the limits of an episode, the problem of this study is presented in the form of a question: What are the differences in analyses of thematic areas in selected passages of the Bach Two-Part Inventions?

Observation has shown that a given statement of an entire short subject may be classified as thematic by one analyst but episodic by another. Further analysis of the problem revealed three specific questions. The first is concerned with the categorizing and quantifying of subject statements that are included within thematic areas by analysts. The second question deals with differences in thematic analysis of certain statements imitating at the perfect fifth and the perfect fourth. The third question is directed toward the function of the harmony of certain statements which cause disagreement in analysis of thematic areas.

The problem has been created by the inconsistent application of analytical terms to invention structure, particularly episode and to a lesser degree counterexposition. Therefore, a thorough review of the historical literature which discusses the terms and techniques of application is presented. These terms include fugue, imitation, exposition, counterexposition, and episode.