solutions 2016 | puzzlecanon

Solutions to monthly puzzle canons

2016

January 2016

February 2016

March 2016

Samuel Capricornus (1628-1665), Canon a 6 (1659)

Solution

Okay, yes, every two measures sound the same once it gets going, as with a round. However, it is an unusual concept: a 6-in-1 canon done as a contrary-motion double canon. A vocal score is here as a PDF.

Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832) Double retrograde canon

Solution

Each measure of the upper staff appears again an octave below in the following measure in the lower staff but in retrograde.

François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829) Retrograde canon written like a crayfish

Solution

With the last note of the enigmatic score the piece reverses!

April 2016

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1732-1791) Kanonisches Adagio

Solution

The top voice begins a fifth above the first note of the upper notated voice but progresses in contrary motion to the original.

May 2016

G. Hofmann () Canon: Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris

Solution

The clefs give the amount of rest and pitch of each successive entry.

June 2016

Francisco de Montanos (1528-1595) Canon: Enigma con quarto claves

Solution

The clefs indicate entries on G, D, A and E, each entry a fifth above the last one..

Enigma con quarto claves by Montanos - midi rendition

00:0000:00

July 2016

Canons by F. J. Haydn and Albrechtsberger from the winter of 1806-7:

Solatium miseris

Solution

The order of the clefs in these printed versions of the canons are misleading. The textual clues provide the correct order of entries.

It seems that in order to lift the spirits of his ailing friend, wrote an invertible canon, inviting Albrechtsberger's rejoinder. While A. may just as well have written back to his friend, acknowledging the fact, he inverted each pair of voices and re-locked the canon. Much more fun, don't you think?