Geographical Fugue

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The Geographical Fugue or Fuge aus der Geographie is the most famous piece for spoken chorus by Ernst Toch. Toch was a prominent composer in 1920s Berlin, and singlehandedly invented the idiom of the "Spoken Chorus".

The piece was a sensation when it was first performed, and remains Toch's most-performed work, although the composer himself has always dismissed it as an unimportant diversion.

[edit] Construction

It is written in strict fugal form, and consists of four voices, each enunciating various cites, countries and other geographical landmarks in true contrapuntal fashion. It ends with a climactic finale using the word "Ratibor!" ("Trinidad"), the first word of the subject. Voices enter in the order of: tenor, alto, soprano, bass.

[edit] The Text

[edit] Translation

Although written originally in German, it was later translated into English and received wide acclaim. The text (English translation) of all the parts consists of various permutations of the following words and lines:

Trinidad!

And the big Mississippi

and the town Honolulu

and the lake Titicaca,

the Popocatepetl is not in Canada,

rather in Mexico, Mexico, Mexico!

Canada, Málaga, Rimini, Brindisi

Canada, Málaga, Rimini, Brindisi

Yes, Tibet, Tibet, Tibet, Tibet,

Nagasaki! Yokohama!

Nagasaki! Yokohama!

Hint: practice slowly at first while overannounciating immensely and work your way up. Fun to do in round.

The place names are largely the same in German and English except for Ratibor (Trinidad) and Athens (in place of Tibet) which is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable in German. The German text is as follows;

Ratibor!

Und der Fluss Mississippi

und die Stadt Honolulu

und der See Titicaca;

Der Popocatepetl liegt nicht in Kanada,

sondern in Mexico, Mexico, Mexico.

Kanada, Malaga, Rimini, Brindisi,

Kanada, Malaga, Rimini, Brindisi.

Ja! Athen, Athen, Athen, Athen,

Nagasaki, Yokohama,

Nagasaki, Yokohama,