contrapunt

Contrapunt, or counterpoint, is a method of musical composition in which two or more independent melodic lines, or voices, are combined to form a harmonic whole. Each voice preserves its own rhythm and contour, yet the voices interact with controlled dissonance and consonance to create a coherent texture.

Core principles include independence of voices, consonance on strong beats, and the careful treatment of dissonance as passing, neighboring, or suspensive tones. Smooth voice-leading aims at avoiding parallels of perfect fifths and octaves and favors contrary or oblique motion between voices. In many traditions, the underlying harmony is derived from the interplay of intervals and the resolution of dissonances by step.

Historically, contrapunt emerged in the late medieval and Renaissance periods and was refined in the Baroque era. Palestrina is celebrated for clear, liturgical polyphony, while Johann Sebastian Bach exemplified sophisticated contrapuntal structure in fugues and canons. The method was formalized in treatises such as Johann Joseph Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum, which outlines five species of counterpoint from one note against one to four notes against one.

Today contrapunt remains a fundamental concept in Western classical music theory and composition. It is taught in music theory curricula, used in formal compositions, and influences jazz, contemporary classical, and algorithmic music. While the term is often associated with traditional rules, many composers experiment with freer or modal counterpoint, expanding the practice beyond strict prescriptions.