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Guess what we’re singing for our year-end concert? :)
The Sanctus from Haydn’s Orgelmesse is a partial example of *imitative polyphony. Listen and watch how he layers the “O sanna in excelsis”.
“In the Sanctus of this mass, Haydn does employ polyphonic elements, but it’s not a full-fledged example of imitative polyphony like you’d find in Renaissance composers (e.g., Palestrina) or Baroque fugues. The texture begins with a homophonic declaration—voices moving together in block chords—on “Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth,” establishing a unified, majestic tone. However, as the movement progresses, Haydn introduces some imitative entries, particularly in the “Pleni sunt coeli” section. Here, the voices don’t strictly mimic a single subject in the way a fugue would, but they do overlap and echo each other to depict the “heavens and earth full of glory.” This lighter, more subtle imitation is characteristic of Haydn’sClassical style, blending polyphony with homophonic clarity rather than leaning fully into dense counterpoint.”
*Imitative polyphony is a musical texture where a melody introduced in one voice is echoed or imitated by other voices in succession, overlapping to create a layered, interwoven effect.
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