hexachord
Latin/Greek composer
Definition
A six-note scale segment used in Renaissance and early Baroque counterpoint as the basis for modal solmisation. The ascending hexachord Ut–Re–Mi–Fa–Sol–La appears as the subject of Froberger's most famous fantasia (FbWV 201) and as a foundational resource throughout Baroque contrapuntal writing.
Interpretive Guidance
The hexachord subject in FbWV 201 should be treated as a cantus firmus — slightly slower and heavier than the surrounding counterpoint — each time it enters. The challenge is maintaining clarity of the subject across all five voices without losing the buoyancy of the surrounding figuration.