What does it mean to be able to write a fugue?

Question

My theory teacher told me once in passing that she had written fugues. Later on people let me know that to write a fugue you need to be somewhat of a theory genius. Why is this so? What makes the writing of a fugue so hard and make the people that are able to write them such special theory practitioners?

Answer 1

Most compositions you hear feature just melody and accompaniment. But fugue writing employs what's called a polyphonic, or contrapuntal texture meaning there are multiple melodies happening at once. A fugue is a strict type of polyphonic writing that employs 3 or more voices/melodies happening at once. This is difficult, because these melodic lines have to maintain rhythmic independence, and line up with one another harmonically, followings all the rules of counterpoint. I could go over the rules/conventions of fugue writing, but it would probably be best to watch a video that breaks it down in a more visual manner with actual musical examples. Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAFETgpt9PA

Answer 2

A fugue is like an extremely complicated puzzle where all the parts move, but have to fit together in all their configurations.

The main melody (subject) has to be constructed in such a way that it outlines the key; any countermelody has to fit with the subject. At least one more and up to four or five more voices have to have parts that make sense as melodies in their own right, but will both incorporate the subject in different keys and harmonize correctly with the subject in other voices when they have it. In addition to all this, some of the form's greatest practitioners would write fugues with two subjects (double fugues), or fugues that incorporated other virtuosic tricks or techniques just to make it harder. And of course, if it's a keyboard fugue, then the whole thing has to be written so it's playable by ten fingers!