Fugue in G Minor (BWV 578) for String Quartet

Fugue in G minor, BWV 578, “The Little Fugue“, is a piece of organ music written by Johann Sebastian Bach sometime around his years at Arnstadt (1703--1707). It is one of Bach’s best known fugues and has been arranged for other voices, including an orchestral version made by Leopold Stokowski. It is a common misconception that the Little fugue in G minor is so-called because it is unimportant. In fact, early editors of Bach’s work attached this title to distinguish it from the later Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, which is longer in duration. 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.. Source: Allmusic (