1. Elements of Music (continued)
Texture

2. Musical Texture
Number of layers of sound that are heard at once, including…
What kind of layers they are, and
How they are related to each other

3. Musical Texture is all about LAYERS
Think FOOD…
Lemon poundcake
Is a single layer
Black Forest Cake
Is many layers

4. Musical Texture is all about LAYERS
Think FOOD…
Lemon poundcake
Is MONO-textured
Black Forest Cake
Is POLY-textured

5. Musical Texture is all about LAYERS
MONOPHONY is musical texture with only one layer of melody
POLYPHONY is
musical texture with more than one layer of melody

6. Musical Textures MONOPHONY (n.), MONOPHONIC (adj.) [one sounding]
Single melodic line without accompaniment
Example
ANONYMOUS - Alleluia Vidimus Stellam (Gregorian Chant)
POLYPHONY (n.), POLYPHONIC (adj.) [many sounding]
Performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest at the same time
Example
J.S. BACH - Movement 4 from Cantata #140 “Wachet auf”

7. Counterpoint (n.),Contrapuntal (adj.)
The technique of combining two or more melodic lines into a meaningful whole
Often used interchangeably with POLYPHONY
Term comes from Latin - “punctum contra punctum” (point against point, note against note)

8. ANONYMOUS - Alleluia Vidimus Stellam (Gregorian Chant)
Solo voice
Choir

9. J.S. BACH - Movement 4 from Cantata #140 “Wachet auf”
Violins
Tenors
Cellos/Harpsichord

10. POLYPHONY has different types
NON-IMITATIVE(adj.)
Example: J.S.BACH - Movement 4 from Cantata #140 “Wachet auf”
When the layers of melody are different from one another
IMITATION (n.), IMITATIVE (adj.)
Example: JOSQUIN DESPREZ - Ave Maria
When the layers of melody are the same or very similar and the different layers start at different times

11. J.S. BACH - Movement 4 from Cantata #140 “Wachet auf”
Violins
Tenors
Cellos/Harpsichord
NON-IMITATIVE POLYPHONY

12. JOSQUIN DESPREZ - Ave Maria
Sopranos
Altos
Tenors
Basses
IMITATIVE POLYPHONY

13. “Frere Jacques” (Row, row, row your boat) Example of ROUND/CANON
Voice 1
Voice 2
Voice 3 …

14. Round (Canon)
A strict type of IMITATIVE POLYPHONY in which a song in which several people sing the same melody but each starts at a different time
Examples:
“Frere Jacques” (Are you sleeping, Brother John?)
“Row, row, row your boat”

15. There is one special type of NON-IMITATIVE POLYPHONY
HOMOPHONY- term describing music in which one main melody is accompanied by chords
“HYMN-LIKE”
The main melody is usually the highest in pitch
The melodic layers move in similar rhythms
The melodies sound together to produce chords
Example: J.S. BACH - Movement 7 from Cantata #140
“MELODY & ACCOMPANIMENT”
The main melody stands out by itself
The “back-up” part is made up of chords
Example: FREDERIC CHOPIN - Nocturne in Eb Major

16. Pedal Point (Organ Point)
A single tone, usually in the bass, which is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it; othen found in fugues
Example: G.F. Handel “Hallelujah” Chorus from Messiah
Similar to DRONE - A long, sustained tone or tones accompanying a melody
Example: Hildegard of Bingen - “O Successores” (Chant)

17. G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah
Orchestral Intro
“Hallelujah”
“for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth”
“for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth/Hallelujah”
POLYPHONY
HOMOPHONY
MONOPHONY

18. G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah
“The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ”
“And He shall reign for ever and ever”
“King of Kings, and Lord or Lords, for ever and ever, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”
HOMOPHONY
(Bass) MONOPHONY, then
IMITATIVE POLYPHONY
PEDAL POINT

19. G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah
“And He shall reign for ever and ever”
“King of Kings, and Lord or Lords, for ever and ever, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”
“King of Kings, and Lord or Lords,
POLYPHONY
PEDAL POINT
HOMOPHONY

20. G.F. HANDEL - “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah
“for ever and ever, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”
(pause)
“Hallelujah!”
POLYPHONY
HOMOPHONY