Week 6

Due Wednesday, May 13

To continue your work on writing Two-part Inventions:

1. Read pp 126-132 [pdf in fair use] of Kent Kennan’s Counterpoint. 
2. Following the guidelines in the reading, and the guidelines of last week’s reading (Gauldin Ch 6-8 excerpts, see below)— Compose three contrasting musical sentences (using different meters, motifs, and keys) using the technique of invertible counterpoint, restricting your use of 5ths and anticipating that the example’s parts will be switched. Where possible, continue in the spirit of your sequence assignment due last week, using mobile and active rhythms in both voices. These sentences will all be candidates to become the basic theme of your Two-part Invention project due May 18.
3. Pick one of the sentences above, and re-write it with a new harmonic purpose, with the treble and bass parts switched. Do not change the original key signature, but begin at a different diatonic position (for example vi or V in major; III, v, or VI in minor … but of course those are not the only options!), and modify the cadence so that it “lands” in a sensible harmonic area for the chosen key of the original.

Examples: each of the inventions 1, 5, 9, and 14 begin with 4- to 8-bar “invertible” sentences — when the parts are exchanged, only slight modifications are called-for to produce excellent counterpoint. In invention 5, the first sentence tonicizes V. The second sentence begins in bar 5, at the dominant position — but rather than continuing to tonicize II (V/V), as it would if everything were left alone, Bach modifies the cadence to tonicize vi. (The same principle is at work in Inventions 1, 9, and 14.)

The sentences you write might not end up being the “first two sentences” of your finished composition; but you will be able to modify them further, transpose them, and fragment them into sequences, in order to weave together a satisfying musical whole.

Extra credit (+3) due Monday, May 11: Bring your best phrase from step 2 above, on transparency sheet for overhead projection. And please RSVP.