MUSICAL SLEUTH
Musical passages can be written down in many ways. What can a composer’s manuscript reveal about the music?
Describe what you see. What differences do you see between this example and the music we sing in class?
In general, how can you determine the key signature of a piece of music? What clues can you use to determine the key signature for this piece?
How can the key signature help you figure out the first two note names? What are the names of the notes in the first line? Give the solfege syllables for these notes (use the key signature and note names to help you).
What numbers do you see on this page? What is the composer trying to communicate about the way the music is performed?
Spell out the letters on the page. What language could this be? What does the language tell you about the composer and when the music was composed? Cite other evidence from the manuscript to support your hypothesis.
Who signed this work? Does this fit with your hypothesis about the composer?
Where and when was this written? How does the format of the date differ from the way you might write it?
How do the numbers on the music relate to the title?
Translation of Latin Text: Look! How good and pleasant (it is) to live as brothers in unity. How does the text fit this type of song?
Where could you go to find out more information about this piece of music? Canone à 8, Vienna, 16 Oct by Haydn, Michael, Haydn, Michael, Moldenhauer Archives at the Library of Congress Digital IDmolden-2822http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/molden.2822http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/molden.2822
Challenge: Transcribe the canon using treble clef!
What does this manuscript reveal about Michael Haydn’s composition Canone a 8 ? What does this manuscript reveal about Michael Haydn’s composition Canone a 8 ?