Which technique, used by Bach, involves overlapping entries of the musical subject?

Which technique, used by Bach, involves overlapping entries of the musical subject?

• A. Stretto
• B. Pedal Point
• C. Mirror Inversion
• D. Augmentation and Diminution

Answer: (C)

Overlapping entries of the subject is called stretto. In Bach’s fugues, stretto occurs when a new statement of the subject enters before the previous one has finished, creating a tight, interwoven texture that increases tension and propulsion. This technique is about how and when the subject comes in, not about how long it lasts. Pedal point involves a sustained pitch (often in the bass) while the other voices move around it, so it centers on a held tone rather than overlapping entrances. Mirror inversion is about transforming the subject by inversion around a pitch axis (or sometimes by retrograde), not about the timing of entrances. Augmentation and diminution change the rhythmic lengths of the subject’s statements, rather than their overlap. So the technique described is stretto.

Overlapping entries of the subject is called stretto. In Bach’s fugues, stretto occurs when a new statement of the subject enters before the previous one has finished, creating a tight, interwoven texture that increases tension and propulsion. This technique is about how and when the subject comes in, not about how long it lasts.

Pedal point involves a sustained pitch (often in the bass) while the other voices move around it, so it centers on a held tone rather than overlapping entrances. Mirror inversion is about transforming the subject by inversion around a pitch axis (or sometimes by retrograde), not about the timing of entrances. Augmentation and diminution change the rhythmic lengths of the subject’s statements, rather than their overlap.

So the technique described is stretto.