Counterpoint

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When we think about counterpoint, we often times think about strict contrapuntal rules present in much of the tonal repertoire. That said, most composers during the early 20th century and on still studied much of this repertoire as part of their own musical upbringing, and even more specifically studied these contrapuntal rules. So that begs the question, how did composers not writing purely tonal music approach counterpoint?

For the sake of starting small with this topic, I want to start with the intro to Aaron Coplands Quartet for Piano and Strings. Copland was an America composer who was mostly known for his populist Americana sound. That said there are a few examples of Copland in the 50’s where he began experimenting with serial techniques. This was mostly due to Coplands perceived politics and sexuality at the time, as he could have been blacklisted for being a suspected communist which was a term used to describe more than just ideology, but to describe Jews, Queerness, and other groups considered to be degenerates. (Click here for more information about this if it interests you)

To begin let me play the first 16 measures [play first 16 measures]

 One really quite interesting thing about this piece is the use of an 11 note row. I consider this to be a form of resilience and protest against this new musical exploration and should be celebrated. 

The row is as follows [play row m. 1-4]

Notice the use of the whole tone collection for pitches 1 through 5 being members of WT0 (play), and pitches 6-9 being part of WT1 (play), finally ending with a perfect 5th or PCI 7 (Play). These collections are an important part to the construction of this piece. 

One thing that this intro has in common with tonal repertoire is that is emulating a Fugue. As I play though this notice that melodic subject (the row) that will be highlighted, and the countersubject that uses elements from the row such as the whole tone collections as well as the PCI 7’s (play measures 1-16)
a fugue is a type of polyphonic writing which is a textural technique where multiple voices (either separate instruments or different musical lines on a keyboard or string instrument) are presented with a sense of independence while maintaining motivic similarities In tonal music one of the easiest ways of achieving this is through contrary motion (play bass clef m98 – 101), as well as a mixture of rhythmic independence in all of the voices. There is no difference when talking about this type of music. Such as this passage, notice that when the two the rhythmic independence between the three voices. Also notice that when two voices are in similar motion, one of the other voices is going in contrary motion. Finally dissonances such as this major 7th or PCI 11 (play m.102), are occurring between the violin and viola, while there is also a tritone or PCI 6 are occurring between viola and the cello (play m.102). This dissonance is extended to another PCI 11 between the cello and  the viola, as well as a PCI 11 between the Cello and violin (play m.102 in context) resolving to a somewhat more consonant chord 

This shows that many of the techniques from tonal music can still relevant in this type of music. 

Explore this through practice: Compose a short 16 measure work for 2 instruments that uses 1 row form of your choice transformed 4 times. You can use Retrograde, Inversion, Retrograde Inversion or its Prime Form. Use the Copland as a model. Use mostly contrary motion, and while dissonances do not need to be resolved in the same way tonal music dissonances are resolved, consider tension and release of dissonances. 

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Sources:

Copland, Aaron. Quartet for Piano and Strings. New York: Boosey & Hawks. 1952 (Not PD)

HUBBS, NADINE. The Queer Composition of America’s Sound: Gay Modernists, American Music, and National Identity. BERKELEY; LOS ANGELES; LONDON: University of California Press, 2004. Accessed December 7, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1ppg9r.