Enigma Canon (Noun)
Meaning
A canon in which the entrances of successive parts were indicated by cryptic symbols and devices (popular in the 15th and 16th centuries).
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The enigma canon presented a challenge to musicians, requiring them to decipher the mysterious notation before performing the intricate piece.
- During the Renaissance, composers like Ockeghem and Busnoys experimented with the enigma canon, testing the limits of musical expression.
- In the manuscript, a small enigma canon was embedded within a larger work, waiting to be uncovered by a skilled interpreter.
- By using an enigma canon, the composer added an additional layer of complexity and intellectual puzzle-solving to the musical performance.
- Scholars today still debate the intended meaning behind the cryptic symbols used in a particular enigma canon composed by a mysterious 16th-century Dutch master.