Triple invertible counterpoint

Hi, I've been studying counterpoint more in depth, from its origins and in several complex forms.

This is. little piece exploring triple invertible counterpoint There are three melodies or subjects in counterpoint, which can be inverted in every possible way (a total of six).

The cell is formed by 5 measures.

Part A repeats the cell three times in Cm, different inversions of the lines.

Part B is a sequence.

Part C repeats the cell in other different three ways in Fm.

Part D retakes the sequence and ends.

The counterpoint sound is nice, good job!

I find there are a number of parallel octaves in the counterpoint. For example, in bar.2 beat 2 between tenor (blue) and bass (red), hidden octaves in bar 2 last beat to bar 3 between tenor (blue) and bass (red), parallel octaves in the last beat of bar 3 to bar 4 between tenor and bass. Subsequent appearances of the cell also repeat the  parallel octaves.

Also the harmonic progression from bar 19 to 20, with C minor to C major, seems not smooth enough for me. Maybe adding intermediate f minor - G major progression will be smoother? 

My "suggestion" is from someone old-schooled! Writing counterpoint, let alone triple invertible counterpoint is tedious and hard to do so! The sound is really well!

Very cool as always, Luis. I feel like a bit of an amateur with denser counterpoint, so it's always welcome to check out pieces where it's at the focus. Thanks for sharing, looking forward to dissecting this one deeper!

17 hours ago, Henry Ng said:

 

I find there are a number of parallel octaves in the counterpoint. For example, in bar.2 beat 2 between tenor (blue) and bass (red), hidden octaves in bar 2 last beat to bar 3 between tenor (blue) and bass (red), parallel octaves in the last beat of bar 3 to bar 4 between tenor and bass. Subsequent appearances of the cell also repeat the  parallel octaves.

 

 

 

Thanks!

This is interesting because I had to make a concession .... In this invertible counterpoint I tried to avoid the fifth of the chords (in strong position) since it becomes a fourth when inverted. So I hade to duplicate some pitches. This is just an attempt ... I'll go over it and try to improve it, but I'm afraid it's not easy... 

That's definitely not easy! I remember when I composed counterpoint, I could still find errors, parallel 5ths and 8ves, weird melodic progression after checking really many times. When I checked my five part fugue in my quintet, I checked so many times and published here, but I still found some errors now. Practice definitely makes perfect! Your fugal technique is really great, and I am sure counterpoint won't be really hard for you!

Just make few changes this morning. Didn't try all the combinations.

9 hours ago, Henry Ng said:

Just make few changes this morning. Didn't try all the combinations.

 

Thanks for your dedication, Iim going to try it in the editor.

I was working with this changes:

I'll leave the work of dissecting the counterpoint to others, and instead focus on how you might turn this into a complete piece of music. What do you plan to do with the counterpoint? A fugue? A concerto? Part of a sonata? Or something different? There's a quite a few examples of different forms which germinates from a piece of invertible counterpoint (e.g. the Jupiter symphony). My personal favourite is the second section of the opening chorus of BWV 105, a 5-bar-long quadruple counterpoint spun out into a full vocal fugue. I'd recommend giving it a listen!

12 hours ago, muchen_ said:

I'll leave the work of dissecting the counterpoint to others, and instead focus on how you might turn this into a complete piece of music. What do you plan to do with the counterpoint? A fugue? A concerto? Part of a sonata? Or something different? There's a quite a few examples of different forms which germinates from a piece of invertible counterpoint (e.g. the Jupiter symphony). My personal favourite is the second section of the opening chorus of BWV 105, a 5-bar-long quadruple counterpoint spun out into a full vocal fugue. I'd recommend giving it a listen!

 

Hi.

I don't want to turn this little piece into anything else. It's just an exercise.

I have used invertible counterpoint in many pieces, but until now it was a double counterpoint. I have studied some examples, among them, the quintuple invertible counterpoint by Mozart, amazing.

I'm in a "journey"  exploring the origins of music: cantus firmus, organum, conductus, motets, fauxbourdon, ..... polyphony, and the beginnng of tonal harmony. It's fantstic. Everything I find, I try do write something related.