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How does cancrizans alter a fugue subject in Beethovenās Hammerklavier Sonata?
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In the context of a fugue, cancrizans (literally meaning "crablike") is a compositional technique in which the fugue subject is presented in reverse, note for note.12
In the massive finale of his Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, Opus 106, known as the Hammerklavier, Ludwig van Beethoven utilizes this seldom-used device to manipulate the subject alongside other complex contrapuntal techniques, such as inversion, augmentation, and multiple stretti.2