Fugue in G minor, BWV 578

Little Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 is a piece of organ music written by Johann Sebastian Bach sometime around his years at Arnstadt (1703-1707). A common misconception is that the Little fugue in G minor is Little in importance, but actually Bach titled the piece Little to avoid confusion between this piece, and the later Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, which is longer in duration.

Score

The fugue's four-and-a-half measure subject is one of Bach's most recognizable tunes. The fugue is in four voices. During the episodes, Bach uses one of Arcangelo Corelli's most famous techniques: imitation between two voices on an eighth note upbeat figure that first leaps up a fourth and then falls back down one step at a time.

Appearances in Media

• The music is used as the theme music of Mega Man Juno, the final boss of the 1998 video game Mega Man Legends.
• The music is remixed as the theme song, Mission (FUGA), for the anime Area 88
• The music is remixed as the theme song for the anime Nazca
• Yngwie Malmsteen uses an arrangement of this piece for two guitars on his album Unleash the Fury. The song is titled "Fuguetta".
• The X Japan song Rose of Pain on the Blue Blood album uses this as an intro.
• An a cappella version by The Swingle Singers is featured in the movie Thank You For Smoking
• The main character in the 2008 drama Elegy plays this piece on the piano in a key scene of the movie.
• The theme is the basis of Chiptune/Gabber musician DJ Scotch Egg's song "Scotch Sundance".
• The fugue appears in G-major (rather than minor) as part of Japanese electronic musician Cornelius's piece, "2010" from his 1997 album FANTASMA.

External links

• Free scores by Little Fugue in G Minor at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Musicmatch guide review on BWV 578. Musicmatch Guide, classical edition has album reviews and musical reviews on almost all works of J.S. Bach and many other classical composers.
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