{"id":28291,"date":"2023-05-23T12:09:34","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T10:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=184969"},"modified":"2023-05-23T12:40:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T10:40:00","slug":"polyphony-music-definition-how-polyphony-revolutionised-ancient-music","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/polyphony-music-definition-how-polyphony-revolutionised-ancient-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Polyphony music definition: How polyphony revolutionised ancient music"},"content":{"rendered":"

We explain the basics of polyphony and how it works, with examples from well-known composers \u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>

By BBC Music Magazine\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 23 May 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The word polyphony comes from the Greek for \u2018many sounds\u2019, which gives you an instant clue as to how the term is used in relation to music.<\/p>\n

What is polyphony?<\/h2>\n

Polyphony is essentially a term used to describe the simultaneous use of two or more\u00a0melodies\u00a0(or voices) within a composition. This could be anything from a simple canon (or round) to something much more complex.<\/p>\n

When was polyphony developed as a musical style?<\/h2>\n

In one guise or another, polyphony has been a technique used within music compositions for centuries. Although \u2013 as styles and trends have changed over time \u2013 the exact form it has taken has varied. Polyphonic music was developed throughout the 10th<\/sup>\u00a0to 13th<\/sup>\u00a0centuries but it really took off during the Renaissance<\/a><\/strong> period, when polyphonic compositions started to become much more complex and intricate.<\/p>\n

In particular Notre Dame<\/a><\/strong> became known as the \u2018cradle of polyphony\u2019, when in the 12th century the Gregorian chant<\/a><\/strong> was elaborated with two or even three additional rhythmicised vocal parts.<\/p>\n

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Monophony vs polyphony: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n

Monophony is the opposite of polyphony. While polyphony uses \u2018many sounds\u2019 to create texture within a piece, monophony is characterised by a single melody<\/a><\/strong> that isn\u2019t accompanied by harmonies \u2013 if you remember \u2018delighting\u2019 your parents by blasting out a tune on the recorder or singing nursery rhymes at the top of your lungs as a child, you\u2019ll have been giving them a monophonic performance. Many traditional folk songs and medieval chants offer examples of monophonic compositions too.<\/p>\n

Polyphony vs harmony: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n

While harmony<\/a><\/strong> refers to the chordal consonance within a piece, polyphony refers to the relationship between simultaneous, independent melodies that work together in terms of the piece as a whole. To think of it another way, harmony is concerned with the relationship between multiple complementary notes stacked vertically on a score, while polyphony refers to multiple complementary strands of melody flowing horizontally across a score.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Examples of polyphony\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From Beethoven<\/a><\/strong> and Bach<\/a> <\/strong>to Handel<\/a> <\/strong>and Haydn<\/a><\/strong>, you\u2019ll find examples of polyphony in myriad works by well-known composers. The second movement of Bach\u2019s E Minor Toccata provides a great example of polyphony, as it features two clear melodies that intertwine with each other.<\/p>\n

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More musical terms explained<\/h4>\n