The Art of Fugue

I have reiterated of the Art of Fugue in the past. 

Last night, it was the music I listened to before going to sleep. It was soothing and comforting my mind as usual. I wondered what made me feel that way. It is quite an abstract music but not concrete at all. Polyphony may fit our consciousness, which is like a series of  filters. It may be related with "working memory" in our mind function. An idea is developed there while an antithesis grows at the same time in our mind. They are working each other and finally reaches sublation or remain being in conflict. 

Canon is the simplest form of polyphony. The leading theme is followed by the same melody in some duration, in variations of rhythm and various techniques like augmentation, inversion and so forth. Basically, it is composed of two melody lines and its structure sounds transparent. Not only intellectually interesting but also deeply related with our consciousness. 

I have been absorbed in the Canons in the latter half of this music. This contrapunctus XV is most impressive to me. Withing the simple structure, I always amazed how profound it sounds to me. I used to play another Canon, contrapunctus XIII, with a violinist for fun. It was several years ago. 

Such a genius is Bach composing this kind of music!