Modal and Tonal Counterpoint: From Josquin to Stravinsky

I have taught counterpoint on and off at the college level for the past ten years using a variety of textbooks. My students were often frustrated with the dryness of rule-based approaches to contrapuntal styles. I finally came upon the Owen text and tried it with my sophomore counterpoint class. It was a great relief and a joy to use. Beginning with score observations to gain ideas of style is very effective with my students. When we finally get to the "rules," the students have no problem digesting them; by that point they have a solid musical reference behind them and understand the relevance for the rules more clearly. Kudos for a great textbook.

MODAL AND TONAL COUNTERPOINT from Josquin to Stravinsky, by Harold Owen, is an absolutely terrific publication that creates a wonderful "hands-on" approach to this seemingly mysterious art form which, from this composer's perspective, remains an essential part of any musicians development. It is a beautifully arranged study, compact, but amply supplied with intriguing assignments and wonderful examples from the masters, including a number of the author's own.A superb overview for undergraduate and graduate students alike, it effectively connects the "modern" musician to the very roots of our art. Serious composers, theorists, and performers, should not miss this one!

"Modal and Tonal Counterpoint" by Harold Owen is a book that all teachers of counterpoint, theory, and composition, should have at their disposal. The book is unique in covering counterpoint from the 16th to the 20th century. I teach at a four-year college, and I often pull the book out during composition lessons to demonstrate a variety of things: species counterpoint, 18th century counterpoint, serial technique and stylistic traits of Stravinsky, Bartók, and Hindemith. I particularly enjoy the way each chapter begins with (often complete) musical examples followed by a discussion of the examples and their relevancy to the chapter topic. I do have to admit a bias -- I studied composition and counterpoint with Hal at the University of Oregon, so I have a personal connection to the material. Hal is a fantastic teacher, a consummate musician versed in many styles, and a very practical and down to earth person. This book reflects all of those traits, especially his practical approach to teaching counterpoint. I highly recommend this book!

I teach at a small liberal arts college, and I used this book for the first time last year. I had more success with it than with any other counterpoint text I've ever used. The basic plan, which is to show real music, disucss the salient features, and then to draw from them the issues one needs to proceed to writing, is an old and simple one, but sadly, seldom executed well. In this case, though, the examples are wonderful, the discussions clear and insightful, and the exercises well conceived, both for beginners and advanced students. A real plus is that it is the only book I have ever encountered or heard about that discusses counterpoint in the 16th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. I used it as a one-semester text, and was forced to leave some things out. I was pleased, though, for my students to have this material in their libraries for future reference. It would make a fabulous full-year text as well.