ABSTRACT

n teaching counterpoint in schools, there exists a bewildering diversity of approaches with respect both to content and to method. Also several titles titles are given to counterpoint courses. Each title may mean one of three different styles of the counterpoint: the modal counterpoint, strict counterpoint and tonal counterpoint. Generally speaking, the modal counterpoint is isolated to music of the sixteenth century, the strict counterpoint is purely pedagogical discipline, based on artificial style, and the tonal counterpoint is conceived of as leading to or comprising studies of late Baroque styles in invention, canon, fugue, etc. There are several methods of approach to counterpoint. With the examination of Fux, Jeppeson and Soderland, I attempt to approach by the following methods in this work: 1. For the exercise of writing, the use of the Cantus Firmus and Species based on the `polyphonic modes.` 2. To understand the style of the sixteenth century music, hearing and analyzing are emphasised. 3. For eartraining, the Species are also used. It is the final desirable goal of this work that the students can understand the 16th century polyphonic music, as well as they can reproduce the Palestrina style in their own writings. CLASSROOM PLAN This course aims to be given to sophomore or junior class which has taken at least one year of basic eartraning and harmony courses, and to be covered in two semester courses, three hours per week. Materials: a) Textbooks: Roberts, S. and Fischer, I., A Handbook of Modal Counterpoint. The Free Press, New York, 1967. Hardy, G. and Fish, A., Music Literature. A Workbook for Analysis. vol. II, Polyphony, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1969. b) Supplementary Materials: Class schedule (see Appendix I) Reference list for students (see Appendix II) Assignment schedule (see Appendix III) Materals for dictation (Appendix IV) Analysis material (Listed on Appendix V. Music should be provided by machine-copy for the class). Recordings (Appendix V) c) Equipments for classroom: Chalkboard, recording tape, tape recorder and record player, piano, overheadprojector, and chorus which consists of whole class and must be settled for two, three and four voice chorus. Teaching in the classroom: a) Writing and analysis - at the first hour of the week. b) Dictation - at the second hour of the week. - dictating from the tapes. c) Review of assignment - at the last hour of the week. GRADING AND EXAMINATIONS First semester: a) Writing assignment results, every week. b) Two-part free writing (take-home). c) Dictation and analysis examination at the end of semester. Second semester: a) Every week writing assignment results. b) Three-part free writing - at the middle of the semester. - take-home. Four-part free writing - at the end of the semester. - take-home. c) Dictation and analysis examination at the end of semester.