To venture into the fugal world of Jorge Valverde is to witness the transformation of a hallowed form. His Fugue No. 17 in C minor departs from the overt drama of its predecessors, offering instead a deeply atmospheric and introspective meditation. It is a work that values texture and color as much as counterpoint, a modern fugue that whispers its secrets rather than proclaiming them.
The work begins not with a bold declaration, but emerges from a hushed, mystical atmosphere. The Subject itself is a marvel of modern expression—a long, serpentine, and highly chromatic theme that feels less like a strict melodic statement and more like an improvisatory thought, winding its way through shadow. As the other voices enter, they do not merely build a logical argument; they intertwine like rising incense, creating a shimmering kaleidoscope of dissonant color and transparent textures. The pedals provide not a thunderous foundation, but a somber, resonant anchor to this ethereal and ever-shifting harmonic world.
The development of the fugue forgoes dramatic confrontation, opting instead for a wandering, dream-like exploration of the subject's fragments. Valverde’s genius for organ registration is paramount here, as he passes melodic shards between ethereal flutes and shimmering celestes, creating a sense of vast, quiet space. Unlike a traditional fugue, this work does not drive to a thunderous climax. Instead, it dissolves. The contrapuntal texture thins, the voices recede one by one, and the music fades into a final, ambiguous harmony, leaving the listener in a state of profound and unresolved mystery.
Commentaries by Joseph Arwin, Music Critic and Coinnoseur at Tunecore, Inc.
