MUSIC 487 A Wi 23: Counterpoint

MUSIC 487 COUNTERPOINT | WINTER 2022

Professor: Huck Hodge, DMA | email: hhodge@uw.edu

 

TEXTBOOK

Gauldin, Robert. A practical approach to 16^th-century counterpoint (rev. ed., 2013).

 

EVALUATION

Evaluation is subjective, but will be based on objective criteria. Students must fulfill the given instructions to receive a passing grade on assignments. Beyond this, grades may be based on musical quality, difficulty of the employed contrapuntal techniques, stylistic idiomaticism, etc. Grading is at the sole discretion of the instructor.

 

1. Assignments [25%] You will have an exercise for nearly every class. Students will be called on randomly to share their work with the class.
2. Composition Projects [45%] You will write a series of short (c. 24-32 mm. in 4/4 or 12-16 mm. in 4/2) imitative pieces on a period text. Compositions will be due on the Thursday of the following weeks:

Week 4: 3 parts | Week 8: 4 parts | You must turn in a score and recording of each piece.

The 3-part piece should comprise 2 sections in an imitative contrapuntal texture or 1 section in imitation and 1 homophonic section ("familiar style"). 

  3. Final Project [30%] A longer piece (c. 3 pages / 40-60 mm.) in 4 or more parts on a period text.

The composition projects and final project must be rehearsed and documented in a high-quality recording (NO MIDI).

 

The chart for converting percentages to the 4.0 grade-point scale can be found here

 

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1: Ch. 1-4

Week 2: Ch. 5-7

Class audio (1/10/23)

Class video (1/12/23)

Week 3: Ch. 8-9

Class audio (1/17/23)

Week 4: Ch. 10-12

Triceratops the KING of all: score / recording

Ricercare a 3: score / recording

 

Homework: 

1) Arcadelt, Il bianco e dolce cigno: be able to sing all 4 parts with the recording.

 

2) write four-part familiar style using the given melody (Ave Maris Stella). Try to get as many root-position triads as possible, but still avoid parallel and direct perfect intervals. One voice should be set against the homorhythm at times -- it doesn't always have to be the same voice: sometimes it might be Altus, sometimes Bassus, sometimes Tenore, etc. Set up a cadence with syncopation and suspension for the last 2-3 notes of the melody.

Week 5: Ch. 13-14

1/31 Homework: write an elaborated 1st species (note-against-note) canon in invertible counterpoint at the octave. Make sure the first 2-3 notes of the canon can function as a voice in a cadence formula. 

Write an elaborated version of the canon in Cantus/Altus. Then duplicate this music in Tenore/Bassus inverted at the octave. 

Try to bring in the entry of the 2nd pair (T/B) during the cadence of the 1st pair.

 

Jean Mouton, Quaeramus cum pastoribus

Week 6: Ch. 15, 17

Homework: 

1) choose a text -- students should choose a period text they understand (e.g., one in English), since the Latin text settings were mostly really weird.

2) begin a section of the 4-voice composition project: it could be a polyphonic exposition of one of the types we have seen before (pairs in close imitation w/ elided cadence/entry of other pair, successive entries of each part (e.g., with different time gaps between entries), double counterpoint in pairs, etc.) or it could be basically homophonic with some polyphony.

some strategies for the global form of the project might be taken from the following pieces

Morales Quaeramus cum Pastoribus Kyrie.pdf

Byrd Missa Quattor Voces 2020.pdf

Palestrina Sicut cervus.pdf

Farmer Fair phyllis.pdf

Week 7: Ch. 21-22

Byrd Civitas sancti tui

Dowland In darknesse let mee dwell

Weelkes O care

Weelkes Hence Care

Gesualdo Moro lasso (scroll to the end / past the Weelkes piece)

 

Lassus Prophetiae Sibyllarum.pdf

Augmented triads in voice leaading

Week 8: Ch. 16, 18

Week 9: Ch. 19-20

Byrd - Haec Dies

Week 10: Workshop on Final Projects

Palestrina - Tu es Petrus

Schuetz Selig sind die Toten

Schütz - Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich

 

Gibbons - O clap your hands.pdf

Tallis - spem in alium.pdf

 

Extra Credit (3% on final grade)

50% recording quality

50% performance quality

e minor fugato - Score.pdf

de profundis.pdf

 

Grading Rubric for Composition Projects

The number of major / minor mistakes will determine the grading bracket applied to each project. The demonstrated grasp of stylistic elements will determine the specific grade within that bracket.

Major mistakes: Parallel octaves/fifths/unisons/dissonances, incorrect dissonance treatment, weak or incorrect cadences and suspensions, incorrect leaps, etc.

Minor mistakes: Direct octaves/fifths/unisons, unstylistic rhythmic treatment, weak points of imitation, etc.

Style: Melodic contour, syncopation, mode/musica ficta, text setting, harmonic rhythm, chordal motion, use (or not) of inversions, etc.

3.8 - 4.0

• No more than 2 minor mistakes
• Obvious mastery of style

3.5 - 3.8

• 2-3 minor mistakes, 1-2 major mistakes
• Strong grasp of style

3.0 - 3.4

• Several (4-5) major/minor mistakes
• Basic understanding of style

2.5 - 2.9

• Many (6+) major/minor mistakes
• Little understanding of style

2.0 - 2.4

• Many (6+) major/minor mistakes, not following directions
• No understanding of style

1.5 - 1.9

• Many (6+) major/minor mistakes, or not following directions
• No understanding of style
• Did not complete one or more portions of the assignment

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Good attendance behavior reflects a positive learning attitude that is beneficial for each individual and the entire class. Students who cannot attend class regularly and promptly will jeopardize their success in the class and are therefore advised not to take the course.

If class is missed, it is the responsibility of the student to obtain any missed information from others class members first, and then the instructor if necessary. Missed classes will not alter the due date for assignments, tests, and other class responsibilities. However, in the event of extended illness, every effort will be made to assist the student in completing the required course work whenever possible if it is determined feasible to do so.

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you’re uncertain about if something is academic misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have.

Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:

• Cheating (working collaboratively on quizzes/exams and discussion submissions, sharing answers and previewing quizzes/exams)
• Plagiarism (representing the work of others as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original author(s))
• Unauthorized collaboration (working with each other on assignments)

Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication by (include information for specific campus office).

Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may receive a zero on the assignment (or other possible outcome).

 

RELIGIOUS ACCOMODATION

“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/) Links to an external site.. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/) Links to an external site..”