The first half of this passage shows us the subject treated by diminution, and imitated mostly at half a bar's distance. In the second half, the subject is both diminished and inverted, the first note being varied, and in this form it is used as a counterpoint against the subject in its original shape.
277. We said above (§ 252) that one voice was allowed to discontinue the subject in a stretto when the next voice entered with it. It is, however, sometimes possible for each voice to continue the subject to the end, so that the stretto is a canon at short distances of time for all the voices. A close stretto of this kind was called by the old theorists a stretto maestrale—that is, a "masterly stretto." The following is a fine example—
J. S. Bach. Wohltemperirtes Clavier, Fugue 1.
![\new ChoirStaff << \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f) \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\new Staff \relative c'' { \key c \major \time 4/4
c8. d32 c b8 \[ c^"S" d e f!8. g32 f |
e8 c d, g ~ g16 a g f e8 \] a |
d, bes' a g16 f g f g e f g g\prall f32 g | a16 s }
\new Staff \relative g' { \clef alto \key c \major
g8 fis gis a ~ a \[ g^"S" a b |
c8. d32 c b8 e a, d ~ d16 e d c | b8 \] g' cis, d e cis d e | a, }
\new Staff \relative c' { \clef tenor \key c \major
c8 a e'4 d8 r r4 | r8 \[ a^"S" b cis d8. e32 d c8 f |
b, e ~ e16 f e d cis8 \] r8 r4 | r8 }
\new Staff \relative a, { \clef bass \key c \major
a8 d ~ d16 e d c b8 bes a g | a fis' g e \[ d4^"S" e8 f |
g8. a32 g f8 bes e, a ~ a16 bes a g | f \] s } >>](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/l/v/lvcgs9sm95gsumtb2f60kkwv16dr4fw/lvcgs9sm.png)
