Counterpoint is the musical technique of combining two or more independent melodic lines that sound simultaneously yet remain harmonically interdependent, each voice keeping its own rhythmic and melodic identity rather than one voice simply accompanying another. Developed through the practice of vocal polyphony in Renaissance sacred music and later codified into a teachable system of species counterpoint by theorists including Johann Joseph Fux in the early eighteenth century, counterpoint reached a peak of technical complexity in the fugues and inventions of Johann Sebastian Bach, and it remains a core technique taught in Western music composition and a defining feature distinguishing polyphonic from purely homophonic (melody-plus-accompaniment) writing.
Connections
Associated With
Basso continuo practice underpins the contrapuntal texture of Baroque music.
The fugue is a formal compositional technique built on counterpoint.
The Goldberg Variations make extensive contrapuntal use of canon and fugue.
Bach is the composer most closely identified with mastery of counterpoint.
Music, Art Forms counterpoint is a technique of the music art form.
The Well-Tempered Clavier is a foundational work of contrapuntal keyboard music.
Sources
Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationCounterpoint, Wikipedia summary leadQuote, Counterpoint, Wikipedia summary lead
In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin punctus contra punctum meaning "point against point", i.e. "note against note".
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between counterpoint and a fugue?
Counterpoint is the general musical technique of combining two or more independent melodic lines that sound together while each keeps its own rhythmic and melodic identity, the opposite of one voice simply accompanying another. A fugue is one particular, highly disciplined way of using counterpoint: a single principal theme, the subject, is introduced alone and then imitated in turn by additional voices entering at different pitches, each voice continuing to develop the material contrapuntally as the piece proceeds. In short, counterpoint is the broader technique, and a fugue is a specific compositional form built out of it.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.