Raynald Grenier is a music composer and artist based in Canada who started his career in the 1980s as an accompanying pianist and conductor. He is self-admittedly influenced by great classical artists like Mozart and Beethoven and having released his own music for streaming since 2018, he currently has four albums and four singles under his belt. His latest single “Canon in E Flat” is a soothing piece of melodious instrumental music.

The track is calming, comforting and puts the listener at peace instantly. The piece is performed by a string quartet which is a type of musical composition consisting of a group of four people who play string instruments, typically an ensemble of two violinists, a violist and a cellist. The string quartet in the form we know it today was developed by Austrian composer Joseph Hadyn in the 1750s and thrived in the classical era, taken forward by pioneers like Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. The string quartet in “Canon in E Flat” come together harmoniously with each of the instruments complementing one another perfectly.

A canon is a compositional technique that brings to the listener a melody followed by different versions of the same melody on loop. The initial melody also called the ‘dux’ takes the lead while the imitating melodies ‘comes’ follow while adding their own unique touch. The ‘dux’ on this track that sets the base is relatively simple, allowing the listener to pay attention to even the minor deviations that the ‘comes’ make. Like all quartets and canons, this track builds up to a grand ending.

I thought that the title of the track was very appropriate! The repeating rounds are different enough from one another to keep the audience engaged, attentive and captivated. Listen to “Canon in E Flat” by Raynald Grenier here: