Methoden der Kanonkomposition bei Josquin Des Prez und seinen Zeitgenossen

The artistic use of canon techniques is a characteristic of many compositions from the period around 1500. Despite the clarity of their contrapuntal structure canons were long considered mysterious, since the technical requirements for their composition remained unknown.

Taking as a starting point the principle described in 16th-century tracts on music theory, the author sets out the processes which made possible the composition of a number of different types of canon. He demonstrates that sophisticated applications and combinations of underlying principles allowed even complex canon structures to be conceived concordantly.

The presentation of historical structural techniques is augmented with analyses of some of Josquin Des Prez best known canons. It is shown that only through precise knowledge of the technical strategies for composing canons around 1500 can we make a fitting analysis of works in canon form. The author provides us with the tools for this.