Is Canon in D an example of melodic inversion?
There are two meanings of the word “inversion.” One meaning is inversion of intervals. You already mentioned that: ascending intervals are replaced with descending intervals and vice-versa. I happen to have the inversions in the fugues in The Well-Tempered Clavier already marked. For each of the following fugues, compare the opening subject with the passage indicated: Book I, d minor: ms. 23-24 in the bass Book I, d# minor: ms. 44-46 in the bass Book I, G major: ms. 43-45 in alto Book I, a minor: ms. 14-16 in soprano Book II, C# major, ms. 2 in the alto Book II, c# minor, ms. 26-27 in the alto Book II, b-flat minor: ms. 46-49 in the alto, ms. 58-61 in the bass, ms. 73-76 in the alto, ms. 73-77 in the bass, 80-84 in the soprano, ms. 89-93 in the alto, ms. 96-99 in the tenor and bass. If you don’t have time to look all of them up, be sure you get that last one. That’s the best example. The second meaning of the word “inversion” is inversion of voices. What was in the lower voice is now i
