Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Music (MM)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Music

Advisor/Mentor

Lookenbill, Zachary

Committee Member

Gosman, Alan

Second Committee Member

Allen, Jeremy

Keywords

Fugues; Musical Expression; Musical Composition; Renaissance

Abstract

This thesis examines fugues from its first inception in the Renaissance to the twentieth century in order to contextualize fugal writing seen in the twenty-first century. The evolution of fugue through the twentieth century is the primary focus for the first chapter. For this, various music scores and academic scholarship are consulted to provide a foundational understanding of fugue. The second chapter examines contemporary fugue writing and explores how composers are approaching this very old compositional technique after several hundred years. Multiple twenty-first century compositions are discussed, as well as an interview I conducted with a composer to gain firsthand insight for how fugue is considered in the present. Additionally, I discuss my own interpretation of the technique and provide samples from my own music to showcase this. The first chapter reveals how fugue has managed to retain many of its core characteristics to the point of being recognizable in any era. While different eras depict the fugue according to their own trends, the technique’s principle character never falters. In the modern era, composers begin to use fugue more and more as a means of exploring ideas outside of music. This leads to new creative methods for constructing elements within fugue. With these creative methods, fugue is shown to be an entity that is not just a technique of the past, but a technique capable of extensive musical expression with room for continued innovation. Because of this, the relevance and influence of fugue is shown to still be prevalent in modern composition.

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