In a fugue, the subject is heard in all voices through which process after the exposition?

• A. Stretto
• B. Imitation
• C. Inversion
• D. Retrograde

Answer: (B)

In a fugue, after the exposition the subject keeps appearing in all voices through imitation. This means other voices enter with the same melodic idea, either exactly or with small adjustments, after a short delay or at different pitch levels. Imitation spreads the subject across the texture, letting the musical argument unfold as the voices converse around the same thematic material.

Stretto is a device where subject entries overlap more tightly to heighten tension, often near the climax, but it’s not the general method by which the subject continues to appear in every voice. Inversion and retrograde are transformations of the subject—flipping its intervals or reversing it—but they aren’t the standard way the subject is re-presented across voices after the initial exposition.