J. S. BACH Jonathan Berkahn - Victoria University - Victoria ...

Vivace finale of Symphony no.95 has two episodes sandwiched between recurrences
of the rondo-theme, both of which begin with contrapuntal treatment of the same
material. This is developed, in the first episode at least, into quite a substantial
fugato. Both episodes emerge seamlessly from the final cadence of the rondo theme,
developing a motive from the opening two bars of the movement (Ex.3.6):
During the first episode there are three entries of the resulting combination:
tonic, dominant, and dominant again, 18 and quaver countersubjects accumulate until,
18 In fact the ‘answer’ only sounds as if it responds in an orthodox manner to the subject (a correct
answer should properly start on B, as the subject began on E). The ear is easily fooled, however,
perhaps because of the shift to the dominant which occurs at this point, perhaps because the
beginning of the fugato is obscured by the way it emerges unexpectedly from the final cadence of the
rondo theme.
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