WebFacts 1
Many pieces of music from the Baroque and Classical eras were written so that
listeners would be able to follow the main musical ideas when hearing the piece for the first time
(after all, there was no recording equipment at that time). Inventions are one example: the main
idea is repeated several times at the beginning, then occasionally throughout the piece.
Sometimes the idea is hidden or changed in later repetitions-the "game" for the listeners was to
recognize its hidden and altered forms.
The invention follows a certain compositional procedure. It begins with a "point of
imitation" at the octave. This imitation is often followed by a sequence or two based on the
opening motive. The opening section of the invention usually modulates, or changes key, moving
to the relative major in minor-key inventions or to the dominant in major-key inventions. That
key area is typically followed by a sequence that moves to a third key area, and so on, until it is
time to return (usually by sequence!) to the initial key area to close the piece. If you are
interested in exploring sequences, the Bach two-part inventions are a great place to look for
them.
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