That's true, but -
Composition studies include COUNTERPOINT, but not polyphony,
and the former is meant as an all-encompassing term that includes
the latter as a subcategory.
RT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stewart McCoy" <lu...@tiscali.co.uk>
To: "Vihuela List" <vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 2:33 PM
Subject: [VIHUELA] Polyphony and counterpoint
Dear Lex,
It is true that some people may use the words "polyphony" and
"counterpoint" interchangeably, but if there has to be a distinction
between the two words, one should consider their etymology.
"Polyphony" means many sounds or many voices, and is generally used for
music where singers (or instruments playing a single line) have their
own independent part. It is usually used in connection with early music
from before 1600 (pre-baroque) - the Age of Polyphony.
"Counterpoint" means points going against each other. A point is a
short, distinctive piece of melody, which passes from one voice to
another, like the opening theme of a fugue. The key word here is
imitation. If you have two or more voices taking turns to share the same
melodic material, you have counterpoint. Polyphony could involve
counterpoint, but it doesn't have to.
Best wishes,
Stewart.
-----Original Message-----
From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On
Behalf Of Lex Eisenhardt
Sent: 09 February 2011 18:00
To: Vihuelalist
Subject: [VIHUELA] Re: The stringing of the baroque guitar - again
What I have said is that it is polyphony that has a narrower specific
meaning, not counterpoint. It is better to use the term counterpoint
because it refers to part writing in a much wider context.
In the historical survey of the term polyphony, in my paper 1980 Grove
(page71) it reads that 'in English usage 'polyphony' tends to be used
'for
early music', while 'for later periods (16th to 18th century' the term
'counterpoint' is preferred...
We could proceed in here Dutch, if
you like.
This list is conducted in English. I wouldn't presume to tell you
what
was the correct terminology to use in Dutch or to try and discredit
what
you were saying by suggesting that you don't know what you were
talking
about.
This list is in English, but its members are from everywhere. It is not
just
for people from the UK. It demands some empathy of native English
speakers
to value that there are other cultures in the world, where terms even
can
have different meanings.
Lex
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