Twentieth Century Counterpoint: A Guide for Students

by Humphrey Searle

This book gives a clear technical description of the various contrapuntal methods used by a number of the most important modern composers. An introductory chapter describes the historical development of counterpoint up to the end of the nineteenth century, followed by analyses of the methods of such "turning-point" composers as Reger, Mahler, Strauss, and Schoenberg.Next come detailed discussions of five of the leading influences in modern Stravinsky and his particular diatonic methods, Mihaud and polytonality, Bartók and the use of dissonance, Hindemith and his chromatic system (with particular reference to his book The Craft of Musical Composition ), and finally Schoenberg and the twelve-tone school.There follows a section on some interesting independent composers, such as Busoni, Szymanowski, Varèse, Fartein Valen; and finally the author proposes a new method of musical analysis which he believes is applicable to all schools of modern music and which may help to solve the age-old struggle between diatonicism and chromaticism, between tonality and atonality.The book contains a number of practical exercises for students to work, and is profusely illustrated with musical examples.

Genres: Music

158 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

Reviews

[Robin Boudreaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

small but POWERFUL survey...