Definition

Noun: 1. A type of musical composition: An "enigmatic canon" is a specific form of musical canon (a contrapuntal composition where a melody is imitated by one or more voices after a time delay) that was popular during the 15th and 16th centuries. Its defining characteristic is that the instructions for how and when the successive musical parts (voices) should enter are not written in standard musical notation. Instead, they are indicated by cryptic symbols, puzzles, riddles, or visual devices. The performers or composer had to solve these puzzles to correctly realize the piece.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Musicologists study the enigmatic canon to understand Renaissance compositional puzzles.
  • The composer Josquin des Prez wrote a famous enigmatic canon titled "Fortuna desperata".
  • Deciphering an enigmatic canon requires both musical knowledge and skill in solving riddles.

Advanced Usage

• As a historical term: The term is used almost exclusively in the context of music history and analysis, specifically referring to the Renaissance period. It describes a compositional technique that was both an intellectual game and a display of contrapuntal mastery.
• Conceptual extension: While the term is specific, the of an enigmatic or puzzle-like instruction can be applied metaphorically to other complex systems or problems that require decoding.

Variants and Related Words

• Canon (n.): The broader musical form. A canon is a piece of music where a melody is sung or played in one voice and then imitated note-for-note by other voices, which enter in succession (e.g., "Row, Row, Row Your Boat").
• Puzzle canon (n.): A synonym for "enigmatic canon," emphasizing its puzzling nature.
• Riddle canon (n.): Another synonym for "enigmatic canon," emphasizing the riddle-like instructions.

Synonyms

• Puzzle canon
• Riddle canon

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Musical cryptogram: A broader term for a piece of music that contains a hidden message or code, which can include but is not limited to the structure of an enigmatic canon.
• Contrapuntal: Relating to counterpoint (the technique of writing independent melodic lines that sound harmonious together), which is the foundation of a canon.
• Resolutio (n.): In the context of an enigmatic canon, this refers to the "solution" or the correctly realized performance of the musical puzzle.

Noun

1. a canon in which the entrances of successive parts were indicated by cryptic symbols and devices (popular in the 15th and 16th centuries)