So, why is Grosse Fugue so called? The answer has several layers.
At the end of his life, Beethoven composed five string quartets, called by one critic 'the crowning glory of his achievement'. The middle of the five (as composed, the second as published) ends with a 15-minute monster, a huge multi-sectioned fugue, known as the 'Grosse Fugue'. (Actually, aficionados will know that the correct term in German is ‘Grosse Fuge’ (or, to be strictly accurate, ‘Große Fuge’). I’ve adopted ‘Fugue’ merely to simplify pronunciation for English-speaking audiences.)
A performance of the quartet (Op.130) is a key moment in the novel. The emotional and, indeed, physical impact of an effective performance or recording can leave one reverberating with music of which Stravinsky said: "an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever". It is the intention behind Grosse Fugue that the book has a similar effect on those who read it.
The structure of the novel broadly reflects the structure of the movement. It is built around several frenetic, powerful pinnacles of dramatic action, interspersed with quieter, more reflective passages where the performer/reader can restore their emotional stamina before the next ascent.
The etymology of 'fugue' comes from the Italian 'fuga', 'flee'. Words like 'fugitive' and 'refugee' share the same origin and Grosse Fugue is permeated with the notion of flight, both as an escape from something and as progress towards an uncertain destination.
A playlist of the featured music can be found on Spotify - and here's a performance of the piece:
At the end of his life, Beethoven composed five string quartets, called by one critic 'the crowning glory of his achievement'. The middle of the five (as composed, the second as published) ends with a 15-minute monster, a huge multi-sectioned fugue, known as the 'Grosse Fugue'. (Actually, aficionados will know that the correct term in German is ‘Grosse Fuge’ (or, to be strictly accurate, ‘Große Fuge’). I’ve adopted ‘Fugue’ merely to simplify pronunciation for English-speaking audiences.)
A performance of the quartet (Op.130) is a key moment in the novel. The emotional and, indeed, physical impact of an effective performance or recording can leave one reverberating with music of which Stravinsky said: "an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever". It is the intention behind Grosse Fugue that the book has a similar effect on those who read it.
The structure of the novel broadly reflects the structure of the movement. It is built around several frenetic, powerful pinnacles of dramatic action, interspersed with quieter, more reflective passages where the performer/reader can restore their emotional stamina before the next ascent.
The etymology of 'fugue' comes from the Italian 'fuga', 'flee'. Words like 'fugitive' and 'refugee' share the same origin and Grosse Fugue is permeated with the notion of flight, both as an escape from something and as progress towards an uncertain destination.
A playlist of the featured music can be found on Spotify - and here's a performance of the piece: