Eminently readable despite the complexity of its subject, "Fugal Composition: A Guide to the Study of Bach's 48" guides the reader in studying the 48 fugues of the composer's "Well-Tempered Clavier." Author Joseph Groocock analyzes each of the fugues individually, both verbally and diagrammatically, and includes such elements as overall structure, episodes, stretto, subsidiary subjects, and countersubjects. The appendices and index furnish a ready reference for the scholar or researcher seeking information or guidance on specific points.

Meanwhile, the volume's editor supplies comparative analyses using current and previous scholarship on every fugue-illustrating where the author supports or challenges other viewpoints. In all, the analyses contained in" Fugal Composition" establish the extraordinary diversity of Bach's fugal style, in such a way that readers gain a new understanding of these significant and beautiful works of music.