235. Occasionally, though very rarely in modern music, we find fugues without episodes. Such fugues were more frequently written, and more highly esteemed, by the old contrapuntists than they are at the present day. There is always danger of monotony if there are no episodes; even the first fugue of the 'Wohltemperirtes Clavier'—perhaps the finest fugue without episodes ever written—is from a purely musical point of view somewhat inferior in interest and charm to many others in the same collection.
236. As it is only by actual working, and not by any amount of mere verbal instruction that fugal composition can be learned, we shall now practically illustrate the directions given in this chapter by writing a series of episodes suitable to follow the expositions given in the last chapter—in three parts in § 194, and in four parts in § 204. They are both in the key of D major; and we will assume that the next appearance of the subject is to be in B minor, which is one of the most probable keys for the next entry. Our exposition ended in A major, from which key a modulation to B minor is perfectly easy, either direct or touching on D major first. In each of the episodes we give, we shall make use of material found in the exposition. We shall write all our examples in open score, that the student may be able to follow more easily the progression of the different voices; and we strongly advise him to follow the same plan in all his fugal exercises.
237. We first write some episodes to follow the three-part exposition in § 194, and in each case begin by completing the unfinished bar at the end.
In this passage, the last half of the subject is treated sequentially in the treble, and accompanied by imitative counterpoint in the other two voices.
