Page:Fugue by Ebenezer Prout.djvu/86

68 third and seventh of the tonic as sixth and third of dominant as soon as the modulation can be considered as having taken place, and answer them accordingly.

157. These few sentences embody all the fundamental principles of a fugal answer; the less important details have been dealt with in this and the preceding chapter. The student who has thoroughly understood the rules here given will have but little difficulty in answering any fugue subject that may be set him, unless (as is sometimes the case in examinations) a bad and unsuitable subject is given as a "catch." In such cases, he must trust to his luck; we have seen subjects in examination papers to which a good answer was absolutely impossible.

158. We conclude this chapter with giving a number of fugue subjects, original and selected, for the student to answer. We also, as a useful exercise, give a few answers to which he is to find the subjects. This will of course be the converse process. If the answer ends in the key of the tonic, the subject must have ended in the key of the dominant, and vice versa; if the answer begins with the dominant, the subject most probably began with the tonic. First ascertain in what key the answer ends, and if there has been a modulation, make that modulation as early as possible in the subject. The rules for the treatment of the third and seventh of the tonic (§§ 128–133) will be of considerable assistance in this matter.

(1.) Find the answers to the following subjects—