Page:Fugue by Ebenezer Prout.djvu/54

36 92. When the tonic goes to the dominant through the third of the scale, the rule of the old text-books is that the answer should be tonal. We give two examples by Bach—

In both these cases the dominant is answered by the tonic. But these subjects belong to a large class—those that begin with the notes of the tonic chord taken in succession. In such cases the great masters give a real answer nearly, if not quite, as often as a tonal one. We give specimens of both: one example of a tonal answer to a subject of this kind has been already seen at § 89 (a). Where the subjects are long we shall quote only the commencement, as the rule is never intended to apply to the middle of an answer, but only to its beginning.

93. We give first some tonal answers—

In both these cases the D is only an auxiliary or passing-note; and it is quite evident that the subject commences with tonic harmony. In our next examples no passing-notes are introduced;