New Light on Two Canons by Adam Gumpelzhaimer

Abstract

Adam Gumpelzhaimer (1559–1625) was a composer, music theorist, teacher, and a leading figure in the city of Augsburg. Most of his works comprise church compositions including motets and canons. His canons were written for performers and educational use and are variously scored for two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight voices. While most of them are easy to interpret, others are quite abstruse and some have been misunderstood. Until now the literature about two of his most popular canons has overlooked an important Gumpelzhaimer source and modern editions have misrepresented elements of the works. Preserved in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek München, this hitherto neglected source contains invaluable information about the two canons and sheds new light on how Gumpelzhaimer treated their music.