Il modo di fare le fughe: On the Neapolitan Fugue Model in the 18th Century
Abstract
This article is devoted to the analysis of compositional principles found in a number of fugues created by Neapolitan masters of the 18th century. At that time, a particular didactic approach was widespread in Europe, called iter per exempla (Latin: “following the example,” “by example”). This approach formed the basis for the training of composers and influenced the presentation of instructional material. A vivid example of such a practice is the treatise Regole del contrappunto pratico (1794) by Nicola Sala, one of the most authoritative Neapolitan teachers. The first two-part fugue from Volume II of his treatise is an reworking of the first fugue from Quindici Fughe a Due by Alessandro Scarlatti. The article presents a comparative analysis of these two fugues, showing that Sala’s fugue replicates the structure of Scarlatti’s fugue, allowing only one innovation — the statement of the subject in the subdominant key. The compositions of Scarlatti, Sala, their predecessors and contemporaries, as well as the views of Italian theorists of that time on the method of fugue composition discussed in the article, make it possible to conclude that there existed a Neapolitan fugue model. This model was established by Scarlatti and further developed and introduced into the counterpoint course by Sala. It includes an exposition, a counter-exposition, a statement of the subject(s) in the subdominant key, an augmented statement, and a final stretto section.
Keywords: Naples, composition training, iter per exempla, Nicola Sala, Alessandro Scarlatti, counterpoint, polyphony, musical form, fugue, compositional model.
Acknowledgments: I would like to express my deep gratitude to my Scientific Adviser Professor Irina P. Susidko for the meaningful contribution and sincere involvement in writing of this article; to Professor of the Analytical Musicology Department Larisa L. Gerver for valuable advice, more precise definitions and recommendations on the main content of the article; to Professor of the Analytical Musicology Department Tatiana V. Tsaregradskaya for an assistance in preparing the translation of the article into English.
For citation: Maslova, A. I. (2025). Il modo di fare le fughe: On the Neapolitan Fugue Model in the 18th Century Contemporary Musicology, 9(2), 10―35. https://doi.org/10.56620/2587-9731-2025-2-010-035References
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.56620/2587-9731-2025-2-010-035
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