Canon (music)

Under canon (plural: canon, canons, Greek for " scale rule" ) is understood in the polyphonic music contrapuntal compositions in which one or more simultaneously sounding voices strictly imitate. In most cases, derived from a written part one or more simultaneously sounding voices from that used in succession. This type of canon is closely related to the distinguishing themselves through freer imitation joint and can also be viewed as a special case of the joint. The construction of his melody requires special care of the composer.

History

Originally meant the Latin term Canon in medieval music theory no musical genre, but - according to the very sense of the word - a statement. Such instructions were either to individual voices of compositions - possibly transformed - to repeat or derive even more votes from them. The canon as a generic term develops only during the 16th century. Before the term Fuga exists at least for the strict canon. The first recorded canon Sumer is icumen in England dates from the 13th century. Highlights of craftsmanship reached the canon in the vocal polyphony of the Dutch in the 15th and 16th centuries as well as in Baroque music, especially in Johann Sebastian Bach (eg, The Musical Offering, or the Goldberg Variations ). Here, the canon at this time as a special case (bound joint or fuga ligata in contrast to the free joint or fuga libera ) was considered the joint. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote very artistic canon. An example of the romance are the Franz Liszt dedicated and strictly carried out in the 15 canons Cammerstyl op.1 for Piano by Friedrich Kiel at various intervals and partially with filling-in. Very popular canon of all kinds are enjoying today in the songs of Taizé.

Notation

The well-known strict canon is usually quoted as a single melody line; the stakes of the following voices are identified in the appropriate places with 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc..

In previous centuries (eg Palestrina) this was a special canon characters, the signum congruentiae used ( see picture ).

Species

• The best known and most common form is the strict canon, in which two or more voices are identical and only use at different times. You may be able to use the voices at different pitches. In addition to the finite canon there are also phrases that could be repeated almost infinitely. This is called a ring canon (English round). Modulates the melody with each additional pass to a different key, it is a spiral canon.

• A circular canon is quoted in a circular or annular grading system to illustrate the endless flow. It is possible that the second voice in contrary motion, has so use with opposite reading direction and / or a different clef gets mapped out.

• Show the note values ​​of a derived voice enlarged or reduced, then one speaks of an augmentation or Diminutionskanon. This technique evolved from the possibilities of mensural notation, in what can be by combining different Mensurzeichen produce different relationships between the cast. This is called the phenomenon of scale or proportion canon, which need not always be a pure proportional derivative, but is sometimes also exploited that notes under certain scale lengths can be two or three periods. As a rule, end the slowest progressive voices, once all musical material of the faster voices resounded. Particularly well-known examples are in the Renaissance, the second Agnus Dei from the Missa L' homme armé super voces musicales by Josquin Desprez and the Missa Prolationum by Johannes Ockeghem. But even later composers - such as J. S. Bach in the Musical Offering - written canon of proportions. A modern example is Arvo Pärt's Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten from the year 1977.

• A cancer canon ( or cross- canon ) is when a voice the melody forward, the other voice in arguing backwards.

• In a mirror canon (also called inversion or reversal interval canon ) appear the intervals of recorded voice mirrored in the derivation. This means that if the recorded voice makes a Terzschritt upwards, for example, the derived voice must carry out such downward.

• Combining the two latter techniques, we obtain a mirror cancer canon. In the notation, it is possible that the singers or players sitting opposite each other and have to start in the opposite corners of the same sheet of music.

• If several canons from the same, the result is a multiple canon. Depending on the number of superimposed canon one speaks of double canon, Tripelkanon, quad cannon, etc. Extreme examples of this technique are two quadruple canon: the 24 -voice Qui habitat in adjutorio by Josquin ( 6 each of 4 written parts ) and the 36 -voice Deo Gratias of Ockeghem ( 9 each from four written parts ). Even Mozart has survived at least one multiple canon in which use three four -part choruses in a row.

• Are there different ways to perform a canon, it is a polymorphic canon.

• In a riddle canon only the musical material is listed in a row, but Kanonart and inserts must be found out by the performers themselves. It is common that the riddle canon also puzzling textual note is added.

Famous canon

• The children's song Frère Jacques ( Brother John )
• The drinking song Tourdion by Pierre Attaignant
• The five - part canon The cock is dead
• Hejo, on wove the car
• The Canon by Johann Pachelbel, through-composed a canon of three violins over a basso ostinato
• The shortest three-part canon on the text Amen (notes on the right) is an ancient way of the English-speaking world. If all three voices have used, there's a permanent change between F major and E minor.
• The canon Oh, and it would seem to me on the evening of Daniel Elster probably one of the most famous canon in the German language be.
• The Kookaburra Song ( Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree ), a popular children's song in Australia.
• Example of a known quad cannon is the canonical superposition of the four German folk songs canon CAFFEE ("... do not drink as much coffee " ), it drown out the songs ("... the spring returns " ), Today ' comes from the Hans to me and Abendstille ("... the Lies pleased " ) everywhere ( " ... only by the stream the Nightingale ").

Media

• Canon and Gigue in D Major by Johann Pachelbel ( Piano Solo ) Sorry, but your browser either has JavaScript disabled or not supported playback software. You can download the clip or download a software player to play the clip in the browser.