Imitation (music)

With " imitation " (Latin imitatio imitation " ) is referred to in the music, the occurrence of a topic ( soggetto ) or motif in a piece of music one after the other in different voices. In this case, the issue also occur easily changed with the start of the topic is usually maintained accurately.

Especially in the Renaissance and Baroque eras, this was a popular compositional principle. The topic appears first in one voice and wandered in the episode mostly all the other voices. The imitation principle is found far into the classical music into it, but there will already significantly.

Genera for which the imitation is determinative, are: canon, fugue and Ricercar as well as many other genera (eg, Madrigal, Motet, Mass, etc.).

A particularly artful use of imitation is found in Johann Pachelbel's chorale settings in the style ( Pachelbel form). Here is the beginning of each chorale line in all voices is in short note values ​​quoted ( so-called " Vorimitation " ) before the whole chorale line appears in the cantus firmus voice in long note values ​​.

• Counterpoint