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

I disagree this book's use is limited to 16th century counterpoint. The only case I would agree is a student new to counterpoint who jumps right to the exercises in species counterpoint.In reality, 16th century counterpoint is the gateway to understanding 18th century and even more modern usage of it as you learn an excellent standard to compare later developments. Also, the exercises in writing imitation, invertible counterpoint are great. And yes the essay on its development thru the 19th century is fantastic.Now I will not say this is the most comprehensive - for that there is a French tome published in the early 20th centurey which is encyclopedic. The name slips my memory.But for compactness and depth of its topic and providing its context as well as the great exercises, Jeppesen's will be a book you will always return to. That is rare for textbooks.I'd say this book is especially good for music composers and song writers (yes pop ones too). The author spends much time discussing melodic writing in addition to contrapuntal writing.Finally the presentation is far more in line with modern readers' experience, the old presentation of question and answer and deduction may have its merits but I agree it is a tough way to present a new topic to someone. Start with this, then go to Fux and studies of scores (yes Counterpoint and Compositions is a good text when shown by a teacher how to employ the methods, otherwise it can be limiting in its impact upon learning).In sum, for the serious music student this should be one of the 10 - 20 essential texts in your library. For music lovers steeped deeply in Medieval and Renassaince music and some understanding of music theory, this would enhanace your appreciation of the craft and the music - and hey you may find yourself writing some great liturgical music for your choir in the end!

I was actually looking for a book containing much more in the way of an anthology of complete works illustrating examples of the different styles, but this really is a very well-written, comprehensive and usable book.Very good condition.

The historical section in the first part of the book is fantastic and extremely interesting. I didn't have time yet to work through the rest of the book but plan to do so in the future.

A very clear method on learning counterpoint, I'm very happy with the book and glad it was created

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.

This is a classic. I love how the ideas are presented in such a classic Dover style.

Good Solid "Textbook" It gave me what I wanted: i.e. further grounding in the basics.

Exactly like the paperback edition, but portable. LOVE IT!!!!!!! Perpetual reference in part-writing. :D

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Lo compré para ampliar conocimientos de contrapunto después de leer Gradus ad Parnassum de Fux. Digamos que ofrece más o menos las mismas enseñanzas pero "corregidas" y ampliadas. Corregidas en el sentido en que, según el autor, Fux no sigue exactamente todos los rasgos del estilo de Palestrina; eso no significa que el libro sea un ataque a Fux, sino más bien una herramienta precisa para perfilar hasta el extremo la técnica contrapuntística del siglo XVI. Resulta interesante y sirve tanto para aprender contrapunto como para consolidar conocimientos previos. Obviamente no es para novatos, pero tampoco es difícil de entender si uno se lo propone. Lo único que no me ha gustado es que los ejemplos utilizan las claves musicales de la época y, en ese sentido, exige un esfuerzo considerable de concentración para los que no estamos acostumbrados a estas.

Muy valiosa lectura, aclara que el contrapunto y la armonía son sistemas alternativos, no pocas veces antagónicos más que complementarios, el primero dedicado a la creación de dos o melodías simultáneas compatibles mediante estrategias melódicas y el segundo dedicado a la creación de acordes o armonías, que limita las opciones de la melodía a los dictados del o los acordes del segmento

Thanks

This is an excellent work! I suggest reading the opening 100 pages on the history of contrapuntal theory, and then going through the species concurrently with Alfred Mann's edition of Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum ("The Study of Counterpoint"). This isn't to say that Jeppesen's book doesn't cover everything (it covers a lot more than Fux's work) but, for a reason I can't explain, it's just fun to do them together.