Update March 2022: New album on the way. 90 minutes of counterpoint performed on clavichord. Preorder it here.
Composer Rudi Seitz is on a quest to write canons that challenge and delight. Keyboardist Matthew McConnell seeks to bring new repertoire to life on the harpsichord and clavichord. Rudi and Matt released their album Canons in 2017. This page is a collection of materials relating to the album.
Where to purchase the album
Download the album: You may download the album at Bandcamp.com, where it is available in high-quality formats like FLAC or AIFF as well as MP3, and where the bulk of your payment will reach the artists. If you prefer iTunes or Amazon, you’ll find the MP3s in those places too. Here is a streaming player that will let you hear a couple of the tracks:
Where to find the liner notes
You may download the liner notes as a PDF (recommended) or view the notes as a web page. The physical CD has a blurb about the album but does not contain the extended notes.
Where to find the sequel album
Following up on the May 2017 release of Canons, a smaller sequel album containing nine canons performed on clavichord was released in November 2018. The album was called Canons on Clavichord. Read about it here. In 2022, this album will be superseded by a much larger album containing 35 canons.
Where to find additional articles
Canon Q & A Extended Q & A session with the composer
Counterpoint as Conversation, Listening Tips for Canon Newcomers Suggestions for new listeners on how to approach the canon form
Why Counterpoint? On the personal significance of counterpoint for the composer
Searching for X Reflections on the composer’s relationship to Bach
Why Harpsichord? Why the composer chose the harpsichord for this project
Album Cover, Album Cover II, Album Cover III All about the visual design for the Canons album
Audio Mastering About the process of mastering the canon recordings
Parallel Octaves, Contrary Motion, Crab Canon, Christmas Canon, Crossings, Canon #46 debut, Interval Compression Posts about specific canons and techniques
Polyrhythmic Etudes, Escher’s Drum The composer’s related projects involving the canon form
Making Music With Machines The composer’s reflections following a discussion about Canons with journalist Wade Roush for the Soonish podcast
Canons on Clavichord Release notes for the second phase of the canon project
Canon Previews Digital renderings of all the composer’s canons to date, including many not yet available in a human performance
Reviews
Yale Alumni Magazine Jan/Feb 2018 “Classical dance music for the mind.”
Rudi Seitz 