Webern: Symphonie op.21, movement 1, opening

This opening section is a double canon in inversion.

Press 1 to show the first part (dux) of the first canon in red.

Press 2 to show the second part (comes) of the first canon in green.

Press 3 to show the first part (dux) of the second canon in blue.

Press 4 to show the second part (comes) of the second canon in orange.

Throughout, the instruments are paired: clarinet and bass clarinet; the two horns; the two hands (staves) of the harp; Vln1 with viola; Vln1 with VC.

Corresponding material appears in those matching parts.

Press any of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 to show blocks of that material (in their original colours) in the first canon.

Each pitch class consistently appears in the same octave, for instance, A always sounds as 'A3', just below middle C.

The exceptional pitch class is Eb which appears as both Eb3 and Eb4 (either side of the A3).

This is part of a symmetrical pattern of pitches centred on that A3.

A and Eb have a special, central role for other reasons, for instance, they're the only pitches to be simultaneously by the same instrument.

Press 0 to show each A and Eb in this passage in all parts.