Fugues for String Orchestra
There is nothing like working on fugues to improve the playing of any string orchestra! Listening to all the other parts, creating a perfect balance between the parts and appreciating the relative importance of each moment within a complex score never fail to achieve greater expertise in ensemble skills. There are, of course, famous fugues in the repertoire like Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue alongside all the wonderful orchestral fugal movements by Corelli, Handel, Bach and Geminiani. Here, however, is a selection of some other rather more unfamiliar and unusual fugues for strings, many arranged from organ pieces, some more challenging than others, all of which I have performed very successfully:
J S Bach
Fugue on a Theme of Corelli, BWV 579 CM057
(originally for organ, arranged by Tony Urbainczyk)
score £4.00
parts £1.00
see a preview here:
J S Bach
Canzona, BWV 588 CM068
(originally for organ, arranged by Tony Urbainczyk)
score £4.00
parts £1.00
click here for a preview:
Brahms
Sarabande (1855) and Fugue (1856) in A minor CM073
(arranged by Tony Urbainczyk)
The Sarabande is originally for the piano and the Fugue, originally in A flat minor, is for the organ. They make an excellent pairing!
score £4.00
parts £1.00 each
click here for a preview:
073 Brahms Saraband and Fugue.zip
G F Handel, arr. Beethoven
Fugue from Overture to Solomon CM055
score £2.00
parts £1.00
click here for a preview:
055 FUGUE - handel-beethoven.zip
Gabriel Pierné
Fugue, op. 3 CM107
(originally for organ, arranged by Tony Urbainczyk)
score £5
parts (5) £1 each
Clara Schumann
Prelude and Fugue in F sharp minor (1845) CM110A
arranged for string orchestra
score £5.00
parts (5) £1 each
click here for a preview:
Robert Schumann
Fugues on B.A.C.H. No. 1 - 3 CM045
(arranged by Tony Urbainczyk)
These are excellent fugues, originally for organ or pedal piano - very contrasting. The next three should arrive eventually!
score £10.00
parts £3.00
see our Schumann page for a preview
Veracini
Fuga con quatro soggetti CM056
score £4.00
parts £1.00
see our Veracini page for the story behind this fugue and a preview
For a wide range of 3-part fugues visit our string trio page