16th Century Counterpoint

This class explores sixteenth century counterpoint through the lens of species counterpoint training as codified in the eighteenth century. Students will produce compositions and exercises for two and three voices, with a brief excursion into four voice counterpoint. The class will develop a critical ear and a mind towards good counterpoint with in-class critique and discussion. Each class will also be devoted to discussing counterpoint in repertoire from medieval to present, focusing on sixteenth century masterworks, in tandem with assignments in which students complete brief lines of missing voices in existing repertoire, comparing their own solutions with the original. We also compare and discuss famous examples of student counterpoint from Mozart, Beethoven, and others.