Canons

It took the French composer Brice Pauset more than two decades to finish this monumental cycle that comprises 24 canons for piano. On the present CD, the cycle is presented in its entirety for the first time by the British pianist Nicolas Hodges.

It is a mysterious quality of the canon that captivates Pauset: Here, technique can change into an aesthetic experience. Masters of vocal polyphony from the Renaissance like Johannes Ockeghem showed how it is done – and Pauset takes up this musical mystery in his multi-part cycle of canons for piano.

During the long composition process, Pauset's split relation to the piano undergoes a change. In "Neuf Canons" he brings the instrument to its limits, turning the keyboard virtuoso Nicolas Hodges into a pedal virtuoso.

The historical canon technique is most radically applied in "Perspectivae Sintagma I" for piano and electronics. In this work, Pauset adjusts interpretation and musical text to each other live and then reincludes the differences in the composition.

First recordings

Production: WDR Köln, 2016
licensed by WDR mediagroup GmbH