[Smt-talk] Bach Quiz

[Ninov, Dimitar N]

Dear Prof. Vaisala,

Thank you for the good points about the fifths in the B minor fuge. I have not noticed them, but I entirely agree with the following statement of yours: 

“Second, since the main  harmonies in the latter half of m. 22 are, locally speaking, the V  and I of F# minor, the bass B is a non-harmonic tone: an  
appoggiatura, or a "misplaced" (delayed) accented passing seventh.”

This statement gave me two answers: 1) you revealed your notion of appoggiatura as an accented dissonance with no strings attached (not a mandatory leaping tone or even a possible weak tone, as taught here for some 50 years), and 2) you rightfully realized that the effect of parallel fifths between non-chord formations and chords are not so prominent.

I personally find no problem in these fifths, for the two reasons you brought up: a) the soprano covers them, and b) they do not occur between two structural harmonies. In addition, we can never prove these are physical parallel fifhts just by listening to the example, because of the voice crossing.

Bach is not so strict with the parallel fifths of unequal size, though. Some theorists consistently call them “unequal fifths” as if they are not parallel and may be used indiscriminately for this sole reason. I am afraid that none of these possible assumptions is true, however. When you move in thirds, you usually say that is a motion in parallel thirds, no matter whether one third is major or another is minor. The same is the case with the fifths. When two parallel fifths (one perfect and one diminished) are perfectly acceptable, they are usually covered by the bass or another voice which moves in parallel thirds and sixths with the voices that form the fifths, such as in the connection I-V4/3-I6 or I-VIIdim.6-I6 with Mi-Fa-Sol as melodic contour. Bach explores these possibilities amply in his compositions. Of course, we also have expansions of this principle.

Because of this misunderstanding that if two fifths are of unequal size, they may be used just like that,  sol-fa-mi soprano profile is often harmonized by some musicians with cad.6-4 V7-I, while this harmonization is the least characteristic for that contour and the parallel fifths are not covered in the manner described above. They do not sound very appealing there at all, but “we read somewhere that they are allowed.” In this particular case, it is much better to place this contour and the fifths between inner voices. Otherwise, more typical harmonizations for this soprano are V6-6/5 or V-V6/5 or I6-V4/3-I.

Thank you,

Dimitar Ninov

Dr. Dimitar Ninov, Lecturer
School of Music
Texas State University
601 University Drive
San Marcos, Texas 78666