In searching for every musical canon I could find, I came across a fascinating series titled Thirteen Canons at Each Interval by Richard Atkinson.  I was interested to know more about a composer who had undertaken such a thorough exploration of the canon form, so I asked Richard if he’d be amenable to an interview.  Richard lives in Boston, and when he’s not composing, works as a forensic pathologist.  What follows is the text of our conversation, which we conducted over email.  Start by sampling Richard’s work itself, which deserves close, repeated listening!

Question (Rudi Seitz): It’s rare these days to encounter a thorough exploration of the canon form in a new musical voice, like your Thirteen Canons at Each Interval.  What inspired you to focus on the canon form and what were your goals in writing the series?

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