Chopin is generally not thought of as composer with great contrapuntal skills, his many unforgettable melodies and distinctive harmonies obscuring his other significant stylistic traits. But he could, indeed, be a master of counterpoint when he chose. This A minor Fugue was his only fugue, and though it is an interesting, hardly inconsequential work, it is actually not representative of his talents in the contrapuntal realm. Put simply, it does not sound like Chopin at all, but rather like updated Bach. The composer was an admirer of Bach, in fact, and found his 48 Preludes and Fugues of immense value and enjoyment. Without doubt, Chopin fashioned this short piece after Bach and never attempted publication of it in his lifetime, apparently intending the work as an exercise.
It is a two-voice Fugue of rather simple structure, unfolding in small steps and divulging little in the way of complex development. It begins with four emphatic notes–the first two ascending, the latter pair descending–that dominate each repetition of the theme, while imparting a seriousness of spirit, completely bereft of any emotional content. That observation should tip off Chopin mavens to the fact that this is music quite atypical of the composer. In the end then, one must regard this piece as an alien foray by Chopin that produced interesting but thoroughly atypical stylistic results.
