Reflections

Here is Bach's subject from his fugue No. 2 from the Well-Tempered Clavier :

And here, as an experiment, is Bach's subject transposed to A minor, recast in 2/4 time and without the initial rest:

Its seems that Shostakovich had Bach's fugue clearly in mind when writing his own. The first 10 notes of both fugues have a nearly identical rhythmic pattern. The 4th measures are similar as well. Both subjects have large downward leaps, and both subjects have a similar general contour: a jagged descent to the lowest tone. Both fugues are fleet, brief, and sharp with the bite of a minor tonality. While Bach's subject spans a range of about a 5th, the Shostakovich subject spans over an octave. Humor is one of the most sophisticated aspects of classical music.

Both fugues also feature a prominent countersubject with a sixteenth note run down the scale, Bach's in the beginning, Shostakovich's at the end. But Bach's inspiration is only a point of departure for Shostakovich. After the classic character of the first fugue of Op. 87, this fugue decidedly enters the unique realm of Shostakovich's own musical expression.

Where Bach's countersubject seems to calmly dovetail with the subject, Shostakovich's countersubject fairly competes with or even against the subject for attention. It stands out beautifully against the subject with three long, accented notes forming a clear conjunct descent which eventually yields to its own gravity in a flurry of 16th notes. The countersubject throws a sort of wrench in the works, giving the fugue elements of conflict, sarcasm, even parody. The prominence and even antagonism of this primary countersubject includes one to call this a novel kind of double fugue. The first episode after the exposition features another statement of the countersubject in the absence of the subject. It almost feels like a staggered second exposition using the countersubject as a second subject. It is a trait of Shostakovich's fugues that the countersubjects shift around enjoying multiple contrapuntal relationships to the subject and other counter material. In this fugue, a number of interesting variations of the countersubject appear in all kinds of places: incomplete statements, inverted tails, diminished values. The fugue ends the crisp and clear tail motive of the counter or second subject as if to show that it finally beat its opponent by getting the last word. The contrast in nature between subject and countersubject could not be greater. The countersubject fairly thumbs its nose at the subject in leering independence. If it is not a double fugue in classic form, it certainly has that spirit; it is at least a fugue with a profoundly split personality.

A more timid second countersubject joins the fray, based on the four note motive from the head of the subject, a motive which also informs much of the episodic material.