A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Cancrizans

CANCRIZANS. This is a name given to canons by retrogression, on account of their crab-like motion—from the Latin word cancer, a crab. The German term is krebsweis. An example (from A. Andre's 'Lehrbuch der Tonsetzkunst') will best explain their construction.

Sometimes a canon is both cancrizans and by contrary motion—'Retrograde-inverse,' of which we give an example from Fétis's 'Traite du Contrepoint et de la Fugue.'

The book should be turned upside down to show the retrograde and inverse structure.

[ F. A. G. O. ]

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