cancan (kin-kin) Eng. n. from Fr

Tittle-tattle, noise. A vulgar French canna d'anima (kan'-na da'-ne-ma) It. dance. The cancan is not really a Flue-pipes; that is, those organ dance in itself or even a characteristic pipes in which the sound is produced step; it is a slang name for the pecuby the vibration of the column of air liar style of dancing that obtains in within the pipe which has been dis public dance halls in Paris; it is turbed by a current of air forced extravagant jumping with obscene through a narrow aperture in the bot gestures introduced into the regular tom of the pipe and sent against a figures of the quadrille. According to sharp edge, Francis que Michel the word origicannon nated because the dancers imitate the The ear or loop of a bell by which walk of the duck. it is suspended. Also spelled canon. cancel cannon-drum From the verb meaning to lattice, The tom-tom or drum used by the to strike out. The natural sign K natives of the East Indies, can cell at a, paritizione (par-te-tsi-o'-ne canon The strictest variety of musical A kan-chel-li'-ta) set of staves with It. vertical lines imitation. The name is derived from for the ba . A system of staves the Greek word for rule or standard. scored by lines drawn perpendicularly Consequently a canon is a compos i acro dividing the staves into small tion written strictly according to rule. equal portions. The e ence of the canon is that two can cell a tum (kan-sel-a'-tum) Lat. adj. or more parts or voices take up in Literally, cancelled. B can cell a tum succe ion exactly the same prog res stands for the sharp sign (#) first sion of notes. The simplest kind of formed by cancelling the sign B flat canon is for only two parts, but may (b) and originally equivalent merely contain one or more themes for imito nullifying or naturalizing the flat. tation. The part which begins or See also B can cell a tum. takes the lead is termed the subject cancel len (kan'-tsel-len( Ger. n. or antecedent and the one which imi- In the organ the grooves or small tates or follows is called the answer channels along which the wind travels or consequent. If the voices were from the wind chest to the pipes, always separated by the interval of cancelling sign an octave the notes could be exactly The natural sign, \ which, placed imitated. However, this is impo ible, after a note, removes the effect of a as such intervals would give a com sharp or flat previously used on that position for more than two voices too note, and restores it to its natural extensive a compa . Therefore the place in the scale. voices may be separated by an interval 104 85 canon cant a men to and although they are unable to rebecame times of public prayer. Each peat the same notes, the progre ion of these offices consists of psalms, of intervals is exactly imitated and a anti phones, le ons, etc. like effect is produced. A canon con canonical ma taining one theme for two voices A ma which strictly follows the which remain the interval of an octave regular order of the church services, apart is termed a canon " two in one omitting no part, and restricting it at the octave." In like manner a entirely to the prescribed canonical canon containing two themes for four regulations. voices which remain the interval of a canonic i (ka-non'-i-si) Lat. n. fifth apart is termed a canon "four in The name given followers of Pythatwo at the fifth." Often in a quartet goras, who founded a system by which there may be a canon between two of they judged the correctne of combi the voices while the other two are nations of tones according to the ratio free, that is, they progre regardle of their sound vibrations, instead of by of the canon; or there may be a canon their actual sounds, in contrast to the between three voices, the third re- Music i or disciples of Aristoxenus, maining free. Canon has been a very who made the ear their test. The popular device among composers and Canonic i used abstract mathematical has been the object of extremely inscience where the Music i relied upon genious treatment, some of which actual sounds. savored more of mathematical precision than of artistic ability. cantabile (kan-ta'-bi-le) It. adj. That which may be sung, singable.