6/15/2023 0 Comments Polyphonic in musicBach (1685 – 1750) was of colossal importance in the Baroque period’s golden polyphonic era, and his music provides a fundamental element in today’s piano repertoire. However, arguably the greatest and most prolific era of this style occurred during the Baroque period (approximately 1600 – 1750). The art of playing many lines of music at the same time can cause a myriad of issues for students, and the study and practice of this genre requires a very different approach to that of a texture consisting of a melody and accompaniment (known as Homophonic style).Ĭountless composers from the whole spectrum of Western music have employed contrapuntal techniques from Beethoven to Bartók, and Busoni to Shostakovich. ‘The style of simultaneously combining a number of parts, each forming an individual melody and harmonizing with each other’ According to the Oxford Dictionary, Polyphony is: Polyphony may also be referred to as counterpoint (or contrapuntal style), alluding to the texture, or construction of a piece. Responsible for producing some of the most complicated, intense and beautiful music ever known to man, it’s a form which piano students must grasp thoroughly, as otherwise progress in piano playing will be challenging at every stage of pianistic development and at virtually every music exam, pupils are expected to perform a piece constructed in this manner. It’s a method of writing favoured by a vast collection of composers, irrespective of their style and genre. Polyphonic writing has been a popular compositional technique in Western music for over six centuries. I’ve included a link to the original article at the end of the post, and a downloadable PDF with twelve tips for students, teachers or anyone who loves practising the piano. There are so many different ways to work at this demanding style, and my thoughts are based on my own approach. It was published in June this year, and focuses on a few practice suggestions for counterpoint (or polyphony). Today’s post features an article I wrote for Piano Professional Magazine, an EPTA or the European Piano Teachers Association publication.
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