Ontological fugue - the fugue that explains itself.

[@FreddyWickhamMusic]

Now this has reached 350k views (lul what) I suppose you deserve the story behind the Ontological Fugue. But first... Please Subscribe! #ringthatbell Now for the story. It all started in March 2020 when for some strange reason we all started working from home, so I moved back in with my parents. At the time I was working as a music teacher in Southern England, which for the benefit of foreign audience is not in fact just London but has lots of places, such as Hampshire where I worked. As part of the GCSE Music course (two years of study for age 16+ qualification) you have to know about Baroque fugues. Normally I would show my classes using a keyboard, maybe some clapping games, standing up and sitting down, real interactive stuff #amazingteacher. But for some strange reason (possibly related to the previous strange reason), I had to teach over video call, which is rather rubbish for all that. Jumping back in time, at university I specialised in pastiche composition, with Baroque Fugues and Romantic Lieder the two specialisms I ended up examining on. Back forward to 2020 - with all the new-found free time I had, I decided to get back into pastiche composing, at the same time as I needed to find a way to teach fugues online. Hence, a fugue that explains a fugue. The actual writing of the fugue was not very exciting, mainly because the expected audience was a couple of online classes and that's about it. The recording on the other hand was rather interesting - I didn't know anything about multi-tracking or recording, so I had to ask my parents for help. Luckily they said they'd help, so we sight-read for a couple of takes, I recorded it on my phone, and called it a day. So yeah, if the performance sounds rough and ready, remember that this was the better take. 😂😂 I still have the other one, maybe one day I'll release the other take for a laugh. I shared it with some music friends and teachers for a laugh, put it in my lesson plan for the following year since it worked well, and called it a day. However, the story would change the following year, when I applied for a promotion at a new school. They told me that my interview lesson was - a GCSE introduction to Baroque Fugues!! What are the chances?! Lesson plan already written. 👌🏼 It was also at this time that my videos started hitting some views. So when I reached the point of teaching the lesson, we had hit 35,000 views. Kind of poetic that we're now at 10 times that. So anyway, that's the story about how moving back in with my parents and sight-reading a silly teaching aid over a glass of wine has led to a new job, a new composing hobby, and 16,000 subscribers. 😮🎉❤ If you've made it this far, you deserve a post-credits teaser trailer for this year. My next piece is nearly finished, and it's a big chunky boi, and I have no idea how I'm going to record it. You could say I'm really PASSIONate about it. I'm also tentatively trialling some live performances of musical comedy, including music I haven't published here! 28th May, St Margaret's Putney - South London crew I look forward to seeing you there! F x

[@MIKIBURGOS]

Oh damn I don't want to miss it, I'll subscribe :)

[@JohnnyBrook]

Has the long lost Passion according to St. Freddy been finally found?

[@thepsychedelicaxolotle5020]

this fugue is amazing ! can you please please do a video when you play this fugue but with only instrument ? i know... the whole point of this fugue that it's explain itself but please make another video where we could feel the great potential of this fugue with a piano ! i think that whould be great

[@annakareninacamara6580]

Wait, these were your parents? Loads of congrats to all of you, but speacially your mom. Some notes there were pretty high for non-trained sopranos 😅, she managed them like a queen!

[@magnusgro4366]

This fugue is genius, how does this only have 300 views. See you in 2 years, when the youtube algorithm will make this video blow up.

[@adonisadmirer2752]

As hard as it might be to believe, there's not that many people interested in fugal writing. This is great, though!

[@michaelleibowitz5235]

3,000 views now!

[@juicedelemon]

it only takes 12 days to 15x the views

[@erezsolomon3838]

@@michaelleibowitz5235 6,000 now!

[@josed.vargas3961]

9k gang

[@TheExarion]

ALTO: Subject! Subject! Here's the entry of the subject, and now the Countersubject! It's the Countersubject! I bring harmony and contrasting rhythms, until the Answer's done and free counterpoint begins, using just material heard before in sequence. To the inner harmonies thickening the texture and finishing with a big melisma. Imitative modulating linking section moving by fifths... False entry! Here's the relative major of F minor. These suspensions are used a lot in linking sections. Answer! Answer! Overlapping now in stretto. Then some free counterpoint with interweaving parts, all moving in sequence and suspensions, modulating here for a climactic entry in the bass, from the subdominant back to the tonic. Using active rhythms helps create a strong dramatic ending heading to the perfect cadence. SOPRANO: Answer! Answer! Subject now becomes the Answer. until free counterpoint begins, using just material heard before in sequence moving in circles of fifths into the Countersubject! It's the Countersubject in the upper part, finishing the exposition with a big melisma. Subject! Subject! Now in the relative major linking into the Subject! Subject! An inversion of the Subject! Then some free counterpoint intensifies the texture with interweaving parts in sequence and suspensions. An entry in the bass now, leading into the final Subject! Subject! Final entry of the fugue and heading to a perfect cadence. BASS: Subject! Subject! Lower entry of the Subject, completes the exposition rather well. Then a modulating linking section; but I will trick you all by singing "Subject!" False entries are common fugue devices as are sequences in links. Using constant quaver movement keeps momentum with the upper parts in stretto. Ascending bass lines build tension where preparing for a pedal note. Subject! Subject! Powerfully in the bass line, and now the Countersubject! It's the Countersubject! Very loud and proud building up to the final cadence! _____________ As someone who really wants to learn how to write a fugue for a book of music I'm making, this video was a wonderful crash course. Thank you so much!

[@tommeng6522]

thanks for the words! it was quite confusing at times.

[@chessematics]

You messed up the order of Alto and Soprano I guess.

[@metallsnubben]

@@chessematics I guess they're not in the order of how the notation is stacked but who starts singing first

[@chessematics]

@@metallsnubben yeah maybe...the Alto appears to be first actually.

[@thehistoryboy]

This reads like something out of 'Ulysses'. Love it.

[@CRAEager]

I would love to study a PDF of the score! This strikes me as not only funny, and a well-written fugue, but an excellent didactic resource for those wanting to understand what a fugue is made up of.

[@jovetj]

I posted one on my homepage for everyone to study, since the original author didn't provide one. There is another thread in these comments to direct you to it.

[@manfredatee]

My thoughts exactly!

[@FreddyWickhamMusic]

You can find free scores of my music (yes free!) at www.freddywickhammusic.uk

[@anjobanjo1221]

​@@FreddyWickhamMusic Awesome!! Thank you! Elucidating and entertaining (one of my favorite combinations).

[@foxfoster1]

My ears begging for the picardy third at the end

[@FreddyWickhamMusic]

In the Bärenreiter edition I'm sure it will be included as an optional addendum to the final chord.

[@tom_szcz_org]

Or make an extended version in 4 voices with the tenor part. It can have this majestic A3 at the end.

[@gabriel_kyne]

@@FreddyWickhamMusic lmfao

[@no-rq7fp]

@@FreddyWickhamMusic I'm officially a fan of the prestigious Wickham Family Lockdown Choir (WFLC) now

[@mordy91]

Middle voice on the very last chord: 🎶Pi(4) - car(♮3) - dy(2) Thiird!(♮3)🎶 😉

[@parmiggianoreggie-ano1832]

For a second I thought this fugue was about Lacanian psychoanalysis. Then I remembered that the subject cannot explain itself

[@equivalenceprinciple1982]

You get a like just for your name and profile pic

[@inesdeerausquin5658]

😂😂😂😂

[@solarvide0s]

best comment on this video

[@LadyPelikan]

🤣

[@carloreybenedictlaurena8282]

☠️☠️☠️

[@tlagudtjq]

“What kind of music do you listen to?” “SUBJECT! SUBJECT!”

[@Chris44351]

ANSWER! ANSWER! 😂

[@Cellottia]

Well I learnt more by listening to that 3 times, concentrating on each part in turn, than I've learnt in 20 years of singing in church and cathedral choirs! Thank you Freddy!

[@stewartcubillos8809]

This is a comment mentioning the wonderful impression this fugue left on the viewer

[@KarstenJohansson]

The previous comment was not written by Douglas R. Hofstadter, but easily could have been.

[@stewartcubillos8809]

@@KarstenJohansson a fellow GEB aficionado!

[@KarstenJohansson]

@@stewartcubillos8809 Also Metamagical Themas. Nailed it. 😂

[@u1zha]

This is a followup stating an opinion about original comments ratedness, which is clearly under

[@FrancescoLucchetta]

"Hey brain, how 'bout you play different pieces and change them every 5 mins top?" The next 10 days: " *SUBJECT. SUBJECT!* "

[@izzyolinda5053]

I honestly think this kind of thing would be great for theory and composition classes. It very clearly labels the parts of the fugue. Good job!

[@bahrss]

This is both hilarious and extremely educational! Although the performance a little bit "rough on the edges" it's a great work!

[@asukalangleysoryu6695]

@@gaspard7052 Bruh. It's 3 men singing all the parts, 2 of them in falsetto. It's great for what it is.

[@elijahdecalmer613]

Even if so, need not be said. Merely an underhanded attack on something that on the whole is incredible and should not be discredited at all

[@marc-io]

@@elijahdecalmer613 yeah let's put things on a pedestal and remove all rights from anyone to make any slight critique. That kind of behavior always leads to a better society.

[@DrMcFly28]

Your comment reads like "thanks for a great meal even though it was a bit burned and gave me explosive diahrea but nevertheless very tasty, great work"

[@bahrss]

@@DrMcFly28 there couldn't be a gentler wording for the slight inaccuracies I've heard. It's more like "this soup tastes almost perfect, but you've put a little too much salt in it, which is obvious". I believe in constructive criticism: tell what you like, what you do not like. As long as you don't object a person it's a constructive criticism.

[@LeBingeDoctor]

Brillantly composed and hilariously written, thanks you!

[@just_a_dustpan]

KZbin randomly recommended this to me, and I thank it. I needed this. Beautiful fugue

[@dominusalicorn3684]

Judging by the comments, YT is recently vigorously recommending this video Good. It deserves it.

[@keithfoester7326]

this is what is in the mind of an overthinker.

[@suritdas9095]

This should have a billion views. Sheer genius. Thank you.

[@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa9718]

I love how the alto sounds. Their voice is so nice

[@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa9718]

@@salamonthegreat still, it sounds so cool

[@Dakewlman1]

I've watched this 4 times and just now am seeing the retrograde and the inversion.. this is a brilliant work!

[@johnchessant3012]

"but I will trick you all by singing Subject!" is so hilarious

[@mr.ryanthomas7848]

Is there sheet music for this available somewhere? As a teacher, this would be an awesome study and intro into fugues. So much teachable material out of this!

[@mr.skeltal8687]

My dude the sheet music is on the screen

[@99jdave99]

@@mr.skeltal8687 yah but try printing this video out 🙃 It’s a *lot* easier to just get the sheet music pdf than to recreate the entire thing in a music software program!

[@jovetj]

@@99jdave99 Challenge accepted.

[@jovetj]

It took me an hour to re-create it. Wasn't too bad.

[@99jdave99]

@@jovetj Nice! You should drop a link for everyone; I'm sure it would be greatly appreciated by quite a few people! Still though, there's plenty of people who don't/won't have the time/patience/energy/experience for doing that kind of thing. A teacher is the kind of group that would easily fall into the "lack of time" and "energy" categories (not that the other two are of any lesser "quality" either).

[@ШуточноназываемыйВладимир]

This fugue is utter genius! Hilarious, educational, and ingenious all in one. And appropriately self-referential too. Amazing stuff!

[@duVillage]

This definitely deserves a lot more love.

[@codingwithrich]

This is a fantastic way to demonstrate theses musical devices. Thank you for sharing!

[@Youdontknowme-398]

You know this works well when it gives choir members war flashbacks to pieces with fugues

[@nathanfustec2626]

I turned 30 the day you posted this. It suddenly feels special :)

[@lotte3274]

Had this video come out a couple of years earlier, i sure would have nailed my fugue class

[@MatthewEverettGates]

Thanks so much. That was very informative and entertaining. After Glenn Gould's So You Want to Write a Fugue, this helped me see the parts clearly. Neatly done!

[@Fire_Axus]

The entire song be like: subject, SUBJECT

[@chickenflavor9880]

Reminds me of "So You Want to Write a Fugue" by Glenn Gould.

[@아흑어흑]

I'm South Korean. And I study political science. I don't know why this video showed up at my KZbin recommendation section.

[@lizziesmusicmaking]

This is hilarious, educational, and it sounds good as a fugue. The only downside is that the singing isn't as good as the composition. But that is a pretty high bar. Anyway, I love this.

[@pauriuro7561]

Brilliant! What amazes me the most is the perfet fitting lyrics. This made me think of "Gödel, Escher, Bach"...

[@astro_penguin_]

Same! Big Hofstadter energy

[@classical-music-lab]

Great job. It makes me laugh a lot. Thank you for the work.

[@jamallabarge2665]

Excellent!!! Just earned yourself a subscriber! As a computer nerd this is the kind of material that warms my heart! A self referential fugue.

[@paulpadillo4591]

I've played and sung this a dozen times today and can barely get through without my sides splitting. BRILLIANT!

[@ceticobr]

Reminiscent of "So do you want to write a fugue?", but much more fun. Pure genius!

[@plupeplupe]

I feel like this is the best fugue learning I've had until now, so goooood!!

[@kenniepennie9668]

I am finding this great piece 2 years in and and 324,000 views!! New sub! Great content and even better comments section!! Bravo!!

[@shumzai]

Finally the youtube algo is catching up to let me listen to this marvelous witty gem.

[@TimothyZhou0]

Shocked I haven't seen this fugue before. Exposition aside, it's genuinely good music!

[@MitchBoucherComposer]

Wow. This was really well done, both in terms of singing and writing! My hat's off to all three of you.

[@nicksunrise1334]

Wow! Glenn Gould would appreciate your work! Thank you for awesome fugue!

[@hughrutherford3599]

This is the kind of thing I listen to for the first time and then immediately wish I'd written it myself. Bravo!

[@KatzRool]

Regretting not commenting when I saw this a year ago. I could have gotten so many internet points.

[@helenaren]

Ontology aside, can we just take a moment to appreciate how good the counterpoint is

[@bird5119]

I ran back into this video, and it's as mind-blowing as the first time watching

[@naringrass]

this the most correct way to add lyrics to a fugue form

[@1258-Eckhart]

This put a huge smile on my face far better than most "comedy" videos! Encore! Da Capo!!

[@corneliamccornface5977]

This is great, good music, educational lyrics, and including the little celebration at the end was very cute

[@simoneliloni6117]

This is pure genius.

[@sohamsengupta6470]

My regards to the Wickham Family Lockdown Choir, y'all sound pretty good. Also thank you for teaching me more about a fugue in these few minutes than I'd ever known all my life

[@michsub]

Thanks!

[@johnchessant3012]

This is brilliant! Well deserved blessing by the algorithm :)

[@foxjacket]

Absolute genius!!! Why did this take so long to show up in my recommended lol

[@AbigailPoirier]

Genius! And also a perfect example of why I don't really care for fugues...too much going on for casual listening. Maybe someday I should thoroughly analyze one, maybe I'd end up liking them a bit better. This would be the best option, since it thoroughly explains itself!

[@JustAnthon]

For me it's the perfect example why they are so relistenable. Anytime you listen to it, you focus on different parts of the melodies at different times, such that every listening experience is unique!

[@AbigailPoirier]

@@JustAnthon That makes sense. I do enjoy listening to pieces many times and hearing the different instruments and their different parts (like a symphony, or a quartet, or even a well-crafted classic rock song), but I guess I prefer pieces that are more accessible at first listen. So I can easily zone out and hear the melody yet can also focus in on details if I choose. But I don't think my preference is necessarily a good thing-- I've said before, only half-joking, that I'm not smart enough to really enjoy and appreciate too much Bach.

[@pontification7891]

Major respect for this educational and funny masterpiece!

[@juleswinter7083]

To this Day, one of my favourite videos on this entire website

[@human_that_much3626]

Just like most fugues I listened to it the number of voices +2 times. First impression, each voice, then once to enjoy all of them!

[@desmondwong5851]

What a sense of humour - and a wonderful way to teach!

[@KarstenJohansson]

This is brilliant. I really want to write a fugue out of pieces of a small 2 part counterpoint guitar piece I wrote, as a second part. But it's been difficult trying to see and understand how the parts interact and how/when they repeat, etc. This makes it *so* obvious. I'm going to end up listening to it a few times while focusing on each specific element in isolation.

[@TimotheeDuport]

Probably the most brilliant thing I've seen on KZbin

[@richardzimmermann9372]

Of all your musical parodies, this is my favourite.

[@WickedNPC]

I guess I'm just going to have to go around singing "subjec subject" all day now.

[@andreakirkby]

Marvellous. I wish I had heard this *before* doing a year of musical analysis lessons, it would have made things so much easier!

[@marjamerryflower]

Fantastic! I wish i could hear one thing at a time, it sounds like a well organized chaos. I can't get my head around it. Congratulations!

[@TheTwilering]

Listen to it 3 times. Each time focusing on a different voice.

[@marjamerryflower]

@@TheTwilering thanks for the advice. I tend to get distracted...

[@johannesofie777]

Our choir sang a melody with only Italian music words and most of them was sung in the right tempo and style. Sadly can't remember how it started, but it was fun to sing

[@janpirklbauer5006]

This is really great fore deepening ones understanding of fuges! Thank you for this composition.

[@djha4287]

I had to repeat-listen to fully appreciate the 3 voices. So good! Addicted!

[@TomCharlier]

Feels like the Sparks song that never was. Just wonderful and very appropriately literate, thank you !

[@bargledargle7941]

Just beautiful. And explaining itself. You are brilliant.

[@pacomemartin5874]

Deliciously crazy !... full of fun and illuminating. Many thanks.

[@realrghnck]

Oh omnipotent KZbin algorithm, let your views rain down from the heavens. For 'tis a most formidable video of great entertainment.

[@thomasthepianostudent8065]

I'll be here when this blows up!

[@yeshuaarcosmartinez6589]

This fuge makes my life a heck lot easier at understanding fugal structure. THANKS

[@WafflesIncorporated]

Man I just got fugued like crazy. I need a break.

[@Sathrandur]

This is brilliant. I want a copy of this just to enjoy playing at the organ - it's so musical.

[@RobertAMRoss]

On the playlist for my Intro to Music History class when we get to the Baroque era!

[@astro_penguin_]

Have you ever read "Godel, Escher, Bach?" This really feels like something from that book haha

[@thedemocraticfilipino6417]

Bach: Damn my secret is out

[@mercari734]

Funny as hell and brilliant! Wow!

[@mansfieldfamily5389]

That was amazing. I love music that explains itself! Like Norah Jones “The cadence rolls in, broken, plays it over and then goes”. It’s like, what better way to learn music???

[@GothAtheist]

For learning, this is great. For listening, just don't. Your ears will thank you.

[@blizzyblaze97]

This is literally GENIUS!

[@matthewcooper4248]

Thank you algorithm I can finally explain a fugue to my friends without having to explain it.

[@EdGaut]

Thsi is epic - I can't believe I only just found this. Thanks for sharing.

[@anticoolkid67]

This video deserves millions of views!👏👏👏

[@SergioValenzuela]

An amazing self referential fugue, love the subject !.

[@peterj6721]

I now understand fugues. Thank you!

[@ItsAsparageese]

Ahhhh, fugues. The only pieces where jokes about "False! You wrote an interesting alto part!" don't apply 💚 Also seconding everyone pointing out that this is brilliant and underrated, see you in x time when the algorithm gods smile on you etc.

[@EirinsApprentice]

I feel like I've just completed a whole music theory course in under 2 minutes.

[@inesdeerausquin5658]

This is absolutely BRILLIANT!! 👏👏👏👏

[@foxylovelace2679]

This is what happens when musicians get drunk folks.

[@CSFCCofExcellencePA]

woah this is fantastic! I nearly thought it was me singing at the beginning...

[@jepz11]

The voices do not blend but contrast and that makes this even funnier.

[@Protozooelf]

This is genius and I'm soooo gonna use it in my counterpoint lessons :)

[@martingu36]

I liked this a lot. Awesome fugue to be honest. Keep up the work

[@savagelegend1031]

Really nice work it sounds great while also educating future composers

[@j.thomas1420]

Bravo, both musically and pedagogically interesting !

[@Zam_Muan]

amazing! So creative and thoughtful musically and teaching.