Customer Reviews

Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century (Dover Books on Music)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am delighted that this classic work is back in print and available in such an affordable and durable edition from Dover. There are many Dover editions of books and music in my library and every one of them has served me durably and well. You can buy this book more inexpensively through Amazon.com than I did it thirty years ago (it was $17.95 at Borders when it was on State St.).

Why is this book so important? Because it not only teaches species counterpoint in a way contemporary students can understand - focusing on the Palestrina style of the 16th century, it also provides a survey of the ways counterpoint has evolved from the ninth through the nineteenth centuries. There are also good exercises for students to work out. Now, Jeppesen has been criticized because Palestrina purists have noted some ways in which Jeppesen talks about the Palestrina style do not exactly match up with the master's works. Well, la de da. The fact is a style is a generalization, not a model that accounts for all practice.

If you were going to read only one book on counterpoint, and wanted one you could understand and get the most from, this is it. There are many others I would recommend strongly (including the Schenker book - but for other reasons), but this is a fabulous book of pedagogy and deserves to be read by every serious student of music.

First of all, skip any of those counterpoint books that push that Schenkeian drivel on you. Jeppesen's book is pure and straighforward- no baloney!

There are so many superior features to this book that it's difficult to choose what to mention, so I'll just begin with the fact that you do NOT get flooded with more examples than you can possibly make use of. Jeppesen gives you exactly what you need, and streamlines his information to that which will teach you the 16th century style. He begins with a solid background in the history of music theory since the Middle Ages, which helps to understand not only the technical tools the 16th century style, but also the aesthetic objectives. How he breaks down the building of the melodic lines and the combining of the parts is surprisingly complete, considering the small size of this book. The language is quite dense, though, so it will take a few reads to reap the most benefits from this book. But it's more than worth the extra time!

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn 16th century counterpoint, and not spend time going around in circles with a lot of self-serving verbiage.

This is an excellent book for those who wish to learn counterpoint. It provides a history of counterpoint and uses the species approach of counterpoint which is in my opinion the best way to get a comprehensive step by step, thorough grasp on the concepts of counterpoint. It is focused on counterpoint of the 16th century as the title indicates and is very similiar to Fuxs but is more in depth. Jeppesen explains about melody (particularly the practices of Palestrina) and writing without the cantus firmus using tequniques such as imitation dimmunition and augmentation of a melody. Definately a "must have" for those interested in counterpoint.

I am a music student at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. I am currently reading, Counterpoint by Knudd Jeppesen. I feel that Counterpoint is a must read for any serious music student. I am currently at page 20 with 15 pages of hand made notes. The historical facets of this book alone are amazing. Also the ease at which one is able to read Counterpoint is very pleasing. I strongly urge any theory/composition major to read Jeppesen 's book "Counterpoint."

It is both wonderful and disturbing to see how a few basic priciples form the basis of music written during a span of over four centuries. The book came highly recommended to me and I pass that recommendation on to others. One caveat: ya gotta really love composing and music theory to make this book worthwhile.

This has been one of my favorite books for 30 years. It may be that Peter Schubert's book is more practical for the beginning counterpoint student. But I love Jeppesen.

The standard text of the 18th century, used and endorsed by Bach, Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, was J. J. Fux's 1725 book "Gradus ad Parnassum", available in English as "The Study of Counterpoint." Fux's book is in the archaic "dialogue of teacher and pupil" style, and it's a tough read. Not that Jeppesen's easy... but Jeppesen was, 80 years ago, the authoritative update to Fux, with a better historical perspective (although there are some modern scholars with different ideas) and remains a very practical book. (Acknowledged: you must read C-clef, or be willing to learn. It's not rocket science.)

Why study 16th c. counterpoint? It's a very clear, classic style. Bach's counterpoint style is a difficult starting place for someone who wants to learn this art, but AFTER reading Jeppesen, it becomes apparent what some of Bach's operating principles were that evolved from the earlier style. In fact, the whole development of western harmony up through jazz is easier to understand once you have read and understood Jeppesen - and let me also mention that the historical overview with which he opens the book is worth the price of the book by itself.

If you want an excellent introduction to how Palestrina's contrapuntal idiom works, by all means buy this book; Jeppesen probably knew more about Palestrina than virtually any musical scholar before or since. If you want to learn the discipline of species counterpoint the way that it has been understood since the late 18th century, however, your best choice is still Fux's "Gradus ad Parnassum" (the classic text on the subject), combined with some study of Salzer and Schachter's "Counterpoint in Composition." The latter title is particularly recommended if your aim is to learn counterpoint as a lead up to Schenkerian theory.

96% of the the musical scores are in Soprano, Alto, and Tenor Clefs (4% Treble)! If you can read these clefs easily, your laughing - go Violas! Great book it's smaller than I imagined it, but great none the less. If your looking for a great book for 18th century counterpoint. Check out 'Essentials of Eighteenth-Century Counterpoint' by Neal B. Mason. ISBN 0-697-29780-2

5 stars if all the musical scores were in Treble and Bass

It has a load of information, I need to know about the different sounds and how they work together.

Anne Stickles

A landmark achievement still unsurpassed, a companion to the author's earlier published scholarly investigation of its matter--he knows whereof he speaks. If one wishes to understand late Renaissance or "modal" counterpoint, this book is requisite. Among its many pleasures is its lucid and pithy account of the history of music theory.

Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.