Composer & Rebus
Rebus Rebus
Ever notice how a fugue can double as a cipher? I’ve been trying to pull a secret message out of a Bach counterpoint and it’s got me twisting my brain more than a Rubik’s cube. What do you think—could a composer embed a cryptic note in a score?
Composer Composer
Interesting thought. In a fugue the voices intertwine so tightly that a hidden message could be tucked into the first entries or even the intervals of the subject. It’s tricky because every note has to fit the counterpoint, but a composer could use a recurring motif as a key or encode text with the intervals, like a musical Morse code. If you’re trying it, think about the first note of each appearance of the subject and see if they spell anything. Just remember the music still has to sing, not just spell.