> But when Bach wrote his first fugue it was a breakthrough, and even if after that each and every other fugue was linked back to that first one [...]
What makes you say that? Bach did not invent fugues, so why should his first fugue be a breakthrough--compared to other fugues--and why should every fugue henceforth go back to Bach's first fugue? (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue#History)
I'm sorry, complete goof on my part, I was not aware of any fugues before the baroque period, and I saw Bach as their main proponent and originator, which was apparently completely wrong.
As for the reference back, I meant to the principle of a fugue, as an original form.
And not that original :)
The wikipedia piece gives me a little bit of cover, it says "It was in the Baroque period that the writing of fugues became central to composition", but then goes on to list a whole slew of composers that got there before Bach did. So it's not even a fig-leaf.
Johann Sebastian Bach was even viewed as conservative and old-fashioned in his time. He was more well known as a teacher of music, but not as a great composer.
What makes you say that? Bach did not invent fugues, so why should his first fugue be a breakthrough--compared to other fugues--and why should every fugue henceforth go back to Bach's first fugue? (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue#History)