Contrapunctus I to IV Expositions of the Art of the Fugue

All the fugues in the first section - Contrapunctus I to IV - follow a similar order of voice entries as can be seen using the following circle of entries:

Contrapunctus I begins with the alto. It follows the circle in clockwise direction: A (alto), S (soprano), B (bass) and T (tenor). The second exposition follows the same order.

Contrapunctus II begins with the bass and follows the circle in clockwise direction: B, T, A and S.

Contrapunctus III begins with the tenor and follows the circle in clockwise direction: T, A, S and B.

Contrapunctus IV begins with the soprano and follows the circle in counterclockwise direction: S, A, T and B.

In the first version of the Art of the Fugue - known as the Berlin manuscript - the order of these fugues is I, III and II. Contrapunctus IV was not included in that version. If we consider the original order, the first voice of each fugue moves around the circle in counterclockwise direction: A, T and S. This image shows the pattern:

Search • Write to us