A Practical Approach to Sixteenth - Century Counterpoint

Practical work in writing counterpoint! Robert Gauldin emphasizes the acquisition of writing skills in the contrapuntal discipline and the simulation of sixteenth-century sacred polyphonic idioms in this volume. The author follows a didactic method of a non-species or direct approach. While no previous contrapuntal training is necessary to absorb this material some acquaintance with Baroque polyphonic terminology proves helpful. Key features include: musical examples illustrating specific devices are taken from musical literature or composed by the author; demonstrates the possibility of employing a single given pitch series within the contexts of different compositional techniques; includes a collection of complete or excerpted movements drawn from musical literature at the conclusion of each major textual division; emphasizes Palestrina and the Counter-Reformation sacred style; discusses various compositional procedures of the late Renaissance including paraphrase cantus firmus familiar style parody polychoral technique and chromaticism.