The Art of the Fugue is an incomplete work of unspecified instrumentation by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is incomplete because the last (most complex) fugue might be unfinished. Some say it was finished on a separate manuscript the was lost, others say it Bach intended to leave it unfinished as a puzzle for future composers. Yet others say that Bach death prevented the fugues completion. The last musical notes written by Bach were B – A – C – H in German notation (B♭ – A – C – B♮ in English notation). The Art of Fugue was written in the last decade of Bach's life. It is the culmination of Bach's experimentation with monothematic instrumental works. It consists of 14 fugues and 4 canons, each using some variation of a single principal subject: Source:
The Art of Fugue. (n.d.). Retrieved January 9, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Fugue
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Wellington's Victory is an orchestral work composed by Ludwig van Beethoven to commemorate the Duke of Wellington's victory over Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Vitoria in Spain on 21 June 1813. The full orchestration calls for two flutes, a piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, a contrabassoon, four horns, six trumpets, three trombones, timpani, a large percussion battery (including muskets and other artillery sound effects), and a usual string section of violins I and II, violas, cellos, and double basses. The work is also known as "The Battle Symphony" or "The Battle of Vitoria". It's composition took almost three months and it was dedicated to the Prince Regent. The music simulates approaching opposing armies and contains extended passages depicting scenes of battle. A common misconception is that it commemorates Wellington's defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo. Source: Wellington's Victory. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington's_Victory This is the title of the dialogue preceding the fourth chapter. Contracrostipuncus combines the two words acrostic and contrapunctus. Acrostic, as defined by Achilles in the dialogue, describes poems that conceal messages in the first letter(s) of the lines of the poem. |